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HISTORY 



The Eighth Regiment 



VERMONT VOLUNTEERS. 



1861-1865. 



By GEO. N. CARPENTER. 



ISSUED BY THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION. 



BOSTON: 

PRESS OF DELAND & BARTA. 

1886. 




COPYRIGHT lS85 



GEORGE N. CARPENTER. 






Illustrations by Forbes &• Co., Boston. 



TO THE PEOPLE 

OF HIS NATIVE STATE, THIS MEMORIAL OF 

PATRIOTIC SERVICE 

IS 

DEDICATED 
BY THE AUTHOR. 



^N 



COMMITTEE'S PREFACE. 



At several reunions of the Eighth Vermont Regiment of U. S. 
Volunteers, the opinion was freely expressed that a regimental 
history ought to be published, in order to preserve in a per- 
manent form the records of its service and achievements. In 
pursuance of this idea, committees were appointed at different 
times to obtain materials for such a volume and solicit contribu- 
tions to the work from members of the command. Although 
some progress in this direction had been made, no decisive action 
was taken until the reunion held in Montpelier in June, 1885. 
At that meeting the subject was agitated afresh, and ex-Gov. 
Barstow offered a resolution that the undersigned constitute a 
committee of publication, with power to prepare and print the 
contemplated book. 

To make the enterprise immediately practicable, ample 
pecuniary aid was pledged, subject to the order of the com- 
mittee, and the material already in the possession of the regi- 
mental secretary, Dr. C. M. Ferrin, and a member of the 
committee, was placed in their hands to be used as a basis for 
the history, and the work was inaugurated by the choice of 
George N. Carpenter as historian. 

As the result of their labor the committee now offer their 

comrades this volume, which, in unpretentious style, tells a 

'e story of the organization of the regiment, and its military 



COMMITTEE'S PREFACE. v 

career in camp, on the march, and in battle ; with many 
incidents and relations which have a peculiar interest for the 
regiment, or those members of it more immediately concerned. 

Believing that such a book as they have prepared should be 
strictly a regimental history, and not a criticism on the conduct 
of the war, the committee have sought to exclude from its 
pages all irrelevant matter, and have avoided reference to the 
troops with which they served, and to the general movements 
and progress of battles, except when the story could not be 
clearly set forth without so doing. Within the prescribed 
scope, too, certain limits have been observed, so far as its pages 
are concerned. The book deals solely with the creditable 
deeds of officers and privates, and, on the ground that nothing 
else deserves to be preserved in such a permanent form, con- 
signs all else to oblivion. 

Having been at great pains to verify every important state- 
ment by the accounts of reliable comrades, who could indorse 
it from personal knowledge, and to ransack the memories of 
those who participated, for accurate details of battles and 
marches, the committee feel justified in pronouncing the history 
accurate and reliable in all essential respects. At the same 
time it is to be regretted that the book must, of necessity, lack 
somewhat in fulness of detail, owing to the lapse of so many 
years since the events narrated took place. This feature will 
be particularly noticeable in the lists of wounded, and those 
taken prisoners, which, though corrected and enlarged up to 
the very moment of going to press, are still incomplete. 

The committee desired to embellish the pages of the book 
with portraits of all the officers who held commissions in the 
regiment. They regret, therefore, that some who were invited 
to furnish pictures for this purpose have declined so to do ; 
they fear, also, that others may have failed to receive the 
notices which were mailed to all whose addresses could be 
ascertained, or to their friends in cases where the officers were 
not living. It is a pleasure, however, to include in the list of 
illustrations the portraits of several officers who, though not 
belonging to the Eighth Regiment, were known and greatly 



vi COMMITTEE'S PREFACE. 

esteemed by its members. The excellent portrait of Gen. 
Philip H. Sheridan accompanies the fac-simile of his autograph 
letter ; another inset shows the familiar face of Gen. W. H. 
Emory, under whose command the regiment accomplished some 
of its most valuable service ; the thoughtful, kindly features of 
Gen. Godfrey Weitzel also find a place near the warm personal 
letter in which he has paid the regiment a sincere, discrim- 
inating compliment. 

The great amount of patient labor involved in the preparation 
of this work, the extent of which those who have undertaken it 
alone can appreciate, has been cheerfully done, to the end that 
the survivors of the regiment, their families, and the public, 
might possess a true record of what their patriotic service cost 
the Eighth Regiment from the state of Vermont. 

Stephen Thomas. 
George N. Carpenter. 
Herbert E. Hill. 
S. E. Howard. 
Boston, May i, (886. 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



In compliance with the wish of comrades and the committee 
of publication, the author consented to act as historian of his 
regiment. The work, undertaken as a labor of love and con- 
scientiously performed, has been far more exacting than was 
anticipated at the outset, and often full of discouragement. 
No means have been neglected to make the story as complete 
as possible, and whatever success has been achieved is due to 
those who have kindly furnished the facts set forth in these 
pages. If anything essential has been omitted, the author begs 
to remind readers that no one man can have witnessed all the 
movements of a single body of troops, and the full history of 
the regiment would contain the personal experience of every 
one who belonged to it. 

The author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to all 
who have aided by contributions and otherwise in the prepara- 
tion of the work. And especially would he express his 
obligations to ex-Gov. Barstow for valuable aid ; to Gen. 
Thomas for information which could be furnished only by the 
highest officer in command ; to Col. Hill for his description 
of the battle of the Opequon, and the thrilling accounts of 
the morning and afternoon engagements at Cedar Creek ; to 
Capt. Howard for the careful preparation of the statistical 
tables, and his account of the battle at Winchester ; to Col. 



vili AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 

Fred. E. Smith for letters, valuable papers, and important 
suggestions. He desires to mention particularly Dr. C. M 
Ferrin, Capt. John Bisbee, Lieut. James Welch, Lieut. Porter, 
Sergt. A. P. Hawley, Sergt. W. E. Halladay, C. A. Dean, and 
Charles E. Hardy, who have aided him in various ways. 

He is under obligations to Capt. F. H. Buffum for permis- 
sion to adapt for the work maps published in the valuable 
history of the Fourteenth New Hampshire Regiment, and to 
Mr. C. M. Barrows for his able professional services in revising 
and editing the manuscript and superintending its publication. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

Introduction i 

PART I. 

Organization 9 

Camp Holbrook 17 

Going to the Front 24 

New Orleans . • 32 

PART II. 

Algiers 40 

Raceland 50 

BouTEE Station 53 

Des Allemands 55 

Shooting the Germans 63 

Brashear City 74 

PART III. 

Battle of the Cotton 82 

PART IV. 

Bisland 97 

Alexandria 106 

PART V. 

Port Hudson 112 

The First Assault 114 

The Second Assault 123 

The Surrender 132 

Incidents of the Siege 134 

PART VI. 

Bayou Teche Again 137 

A Veteran Regiment 143 

On a Furlough 146 

Going North 152 



X CONTENTS. 

PART VII. 

To THE Shenandoah 156. 

The Valley 161 

PART VIII. 

Battle of Opequon 168 

As Others See Us 172 

Capt. Howard's Story 175 

Col. Hill's Story 184 

Incidents 195 

PART IX. 

Fisher's Hill 19^. 

Tom's Brook 202 

PART X. 

Battle of Cedar Creek 205 

The Morning Fight 214 

The Afternoon Fight 220 

Incidents of the Fight 229. 

PART XL 

Newtown 236 

Summit Point 238 

Mustered Out 245 

In Retrospect 249 

PART XII. 

The Eighth Vermont in Civil Life 252; 

Sketch of Gen. Thomas 253. 

Gov. Holbrook 263. 



Military History of Commissioned Officers 265. 

Promotions of Enlisted Men 276- 

Officers of the Regiment 28* 

Battles and Skirmishes 281 

Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates who Died from 

Disease, etc. ..." 283, 

Original Roster 286 

Recapitulation 319. 

APPENDIX. 

Dedication of Monument at Winchester 321 

Dedication of Monument at Cedar Creek 331 



PORTRAITS AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE. 

'Gen. Stephen Thomas Frontispiece. 

Gov. Frederick Holbrook i8 

Camp Holbrook 20 

Carrolton Signal Station 42 

^GROUP OF Officers 52 

"Father" Isaac Blake 66 

Group of Officers 84 

Battle of the Cotton 88 

Battle of Port Hudson 114 

Capt. H. E. Foster 116 

Lieut. S. F. Spalding 126 

Lieut. Col. C. Dillingham 13S 

O. M. Fred E. Smith 140 

Maj. J. L. Barstow 150 

Group of Officers 152 

Gen. G. Weitzel 1^4 

vMaj. H. M. Pollard 164 

Battle of Opequon 168 

Capt. G. O. Ford 1^4 

Lieut. Col. H. F. Button igS 

Group of Officers 200 

Gen. p. H. Sheridan 204 

Battle of Cedar Creek 208 

Gen. W. H. Emory 214 

Defence of the Flags 218 

Sheridan's Autograph Letter 220 

Col. J. B. Mead 244 

-Group of Officers 248 

"Col. H. E. Hill •. . 320 

'Monument at Winchester 330 



INTRODUCTORY. 



To a majority of the loyal people of the Union the armed 
revolt of 1 86 1 came as a surprise and a shock. They knew, 
indeed, that the slave-holding states were determined to per- 
petuate and extend their peculiar institution if possible, and 
that it was the one paramount issue that controlled political 
action at the South. They were not blind to the grave disaf- 
fection felt at every attempt to limit slavery by legislation ; 
but the hot sectional debates on the floor of congress, and the 
angry threats of Southern leaders, sounded quite too distant and 
vague to shake the popular faith that the mighty nation could 
hold each state fast in a compact of perpetual union. Even 
when South Carolina had passed an ordinance of secession, 
Dec. 20, i860, and six sister states had followed her bold exam- 
ple, the opinion prevailed at the North that in some way the 
breach would be closed, and the disputes settled or compro- 
mised. 

A few far-seeing men who knew the Southern mind more 
intimately took a different view. One of this class was Judge 
Stephen Thomas, of Vermont. Being a prominent man in the 
state and an active worker in the Democratic party, his sense 
of the gravity of the national problem was deep and prophetic. 
He had been an honored delegate to all the national Demo- 
cratic conventions since 1848, and was present at that stormy 
session held in Charleston, S. C, April, i860, which rent the 



2 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

party in twain and raised such bitter sectional disputes between 
the factions. Often in pubHc debate and private interview had 
he tried to convince the Southern pohticians that the North did 
not seek to trespass on their rights or meddle with any local 
issue of the slave states. He had discovered with pain that 
their ears were deaf to the appeals of reason and patriotism ; 
that the infatuated leaders spoke flippantly of the Union with 
its glorious memories ; he had marked the cool indifference 
with which they referred to the possibility of dividing the 
nation and setting up an independent confederacy on Southern 
soil. Knowing, as few of his Northern fellow-citizens did, the 
intensity of Southern hate, the hotspur spirit of the leaders, and 
the military capacity and resources at their command, he fore- 
saw with alarm and sorrow that the government of the United 
States^would soon be called upon to maintain its rights against 
a giant armed rebellion. 

When, therefore. Governor Fairbanks called an extra session 
of the General Assembly, on the twenty-third of April, 1861, it 
was with a heavy heart that Judge Thomas went to Montpelier 
to meet his colleagues in the House. Fort Sumter had fallen, 
a civil war was fairly begun. President Lincoln had called for 
volunteers to enter the loyal army, and the legislature of which 
he was a member was to consider what response Vermont 
sTiould make in this dire emergency. 

Judge Thomas was the only Democratic member of the 
special committee to which was referred the various bills 
for raising, arming, and paying troops for the national de- 
fence. He was also a member of the Committee on Ways and 
Means, which had under consideration an important bill author- 
izing the governor and treasurer of the state to borrow such 
a sum of money as the legislature at this extra session might 
vote to appropriate for military purposes. How much money 
to appropriate was the first question to be decided, and the 
assembly and the people awaited with deep anxiety the recom- 
mendation of the committee. 

After this committee had organized and was ready for busi- 
ness, a motion was made to report a bill appropriating half a 



THE EXTRA SESSION. 3 

million of dollars, and a very earnest discussion followed. 
Every member had spoken his sentiments on the motion except 
the judge, who sat in the rear of the committee-room listening 
intently to every word that was uttered. At last the chairman 
called upon him. Rising from his seat and stepping forward 
near the table, where he could command the gaze of every 
member, Judge Thomas gave utterance, in a very impressive 
manner, to convictions which no other speaker seemed to have 
shared with him. The solemn prophecy of his words was well- 
nigh startling, as he told them that the country was on the eve 
of a gigantic contest to preserve the Union. He knew well 
the spirit and temper of the Southern leaders. They were dead 
in earnest to destroy the Federal government, and establish a 
confederacy of which human slavery would be the chief corner- 
stone. It was not enough that in his inaugural address, Presi- 
dent Lincoln plainly told them it was not his purpose to inter- 
fere with the institutions of any of the states ; they wanted 
absolute separation. He felt that they would use every possi- 
ble means to accomplish their end. That meant war, and we 
should find them " foemen worthy of our steel." " Gentlemen 
of the Committee," said he, in closing his remarks, " I am not 
only in favor of appropriating five hundred thousand dollars for 
this war, but I am m favor of appropriating one million of dol- 
lars. It will require a million, and I am not sure but that sum 
will be needed before the next regular session of the legis- 
lature in October. I therefore move to amend the bill, by 
making the governor, lieutenant-governor, and treasurer a com- 
mittee to borrow at once five hundred thousand dollars, with 
authority to borrow another five hundred thousand when it 
shall be needed." 

The earnestness and candor of this unexpected speech, con- 
vinced every member of the committee that the judge was 
right, and without further debate it was voted to report the 
sum he had named, and the bill thus amended was adopted. 

When the House took up the appropriation bill for consider- 
ation, it was no more prepared than was the committee to 
accept the radical view of the secession movement presented 



4 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

by Judge Thomas. At first there was some mild opposition 
to the provisions of the bill, and objections were raised by dif- 
ferent members. The legislature ought to be very cautious about 
voting to expend the enormous sum of one million of dollars, 
— there was no way of raising such an amount except by direct 
taxation, and that was a doubtful expedient, — and other equally 
formidable obstacles were suggested, showing how little those 
who uttered them realized the true situation of national affairs, 
One of the principal arguments against the bill was made by 
a brilliant member, who was one of the ablest debaters in the 
House. He closed his speech with these words : " I tell you, 
Mr. Speaker, and gentlemen of the House, if you put a million 
of dollars into one side of the scale and the patriotism of the 
people into the other, the million of dollars will vastly out- 
weigh the patriotism." 

This base rating of the loyalty of the sons of Vermont 
roused Judge Thomas to defend his position in one of the most 
impassioned and telling speeches ever heard in the state-house. 
Hastily taking the floor, he repeated with a terrible emphasis 
what he had already declared in the meeting of the committee, 
about , the nature of the approaching struggle between the 
North and South, and the vast importance of the issues at 
stake. To him it was nothing less than a contest for the per- 
petuity of the free government bequeathed to them by their 
fathers ; and when the gentleman said that a million of dollars 
would outweigh the patriotism of the people of Vermont, he 
felt disgusted at his ignorance of the popular mind. 

At this point the author of the odious libel interrupted the 
speaker, and tried to place a different construction on his words, 
without retracting his assertion. But paying no heed to this 
digression, Judge Thomas proceeded to urge upon his hearers 
the duty of the hour, in the most earnest and eloquent lan- 
guage he could command. He reminded them that theirs was 
among the first loyal states to speak, and it was of the utmost 
importance that she should set a good example to sister states, 
and give no uncertain sound. Prompt, bold action would have 
the effect to encourage patriotism and dishearten traitors. 



RINGING WORDS. 5 

When the honor and life of the nation were. threatened, there 
was but one right thing for every loyal citizen to do. He 
would not consent to have it said, in the state of his birth, 
among the Green Mountains, in the land of Ethan Allen, that 
money could outweigh patriotism. The gentleman was alto- 
gether wrong, and did not know the people, if he believed what 
he had said to be true. 

Again the member who had made the unfortunate remark 
sought to modify its meaning and make it less offensive. But 
the sturdy judge refused to yield him quarter, and persisted 
that there was no uncertain meaning in the demands of patriot- 
ism. He did not vote for the state officers named in the bill 
before the House ; yet he would trust them as loyal citizens 
of Vermont, and he had the most undoubted faith in the 
people behind them. Rising to the demands of the occasion, 
the speaker held his audience spell-bound, while, with vehe- 
ment and eloquent words, he pleaded for his imperilled country, 
and the honor of the free institutions which made this the best 
government under heaven. Nothing could resist the trenchant 
logic of his argument, as he pictured in vivid colors the sacri- 
fices that must be made for the salvation of the Union, and 
ended his speech with the following telling period : 

" Until this rebellion shall have been put down, I have no 
friends to reward and no enemies to punish ; and I trust that 
the whole strength and power of Vermont, both of men and of 
money, will be put into the field to sustain the government." 

While Judge Thomas was speaking, every eye was fixed upon 
him, and men listened with the closest attention, until he sat 
down and the spell of his eloquence was broken ; then they 
burst forth in enthusiastic applause, which told more plainly 
than words could have said it, that he had won the day. The 
vote upon the bill was taken immediately, and every member 
voted " Yes." 

The Senate bill authorizing the raising of four Vermont vol- 
unteer regiments for immediate service in " protecting and 
defending the constitution and the Union," soon came up for 
consideration in the House, and again the clear-headed, far-see- 



6 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

ing patriot of the Democratic party gave shape and tone to 
the action of his colleagues. He moved to amend the bill, 
making the number of regiments six instead of four. But on 
this point, also, a rriajority of the House were conservative 
and objected, showing how little they realized the strength of 
the revolt to be put down, or the magnitude of the army that 
would be required to do it. It was claimed that if Vermont 
should raise three regiments, and the other loyal states con- 
tributed proportionally, it would put into the field a larger 
army than could ever be needed. 

In answer to this plausible argument Judge Thomas replied, 
that the true policy was not to calculate how few men from 
each state the President can get along with ; but they should 
ask, " How many men can Vermont raise at once and put into the 
field ? " Thus, by showing the national strength at the outset 
of the campaign, the enemy will be intimidated, and bloodshed 
and treasure saved. The effect of his speech caused the House 
to so modify and amend the Senate bill that the governor of 
the state was thereby authorized to recruit two regiments with- 
out delay, and four others whenever in his judgment their ser- 
vices should be needed. Subsequent events showed that not 
only the force thus provided for was immediately needed, but 
that before the next legislature convened the entire six regi- 
ments were ready to be put into the field, together with the first 
regiment of Vermont cavalry. 

But there remained yet another duty to be performed before 
the House could discharge the special business which it had met 
to transact. Legislation reached its guarding hand still further, 
and considered what compensation would be due from the state 
to those who should volunteer to engage in military service. 
And yet again it was the potential thought of Judge Thomas 
that advocated a liberal policy towards the defenders of the 
country. The bill to be acted upon was entitled " An Act 
to authorize the embodying and equipment of a volunteer 
militia, and provide for public defence." This was duly referred 
to a special committee, of which the judge was a member, and 
while deliberating upon it he told the committee that Vermont 



GENEROUS PAY. y 

had always stood at the head of all the states in caring for her 
soldiers. She was the only state which made the pay of her 
soldiers engaged in the war of the Revolution equal to specie ; 
that in the war of 1812 she paid her volunteer militia five 
dollars a month in addition to the pay they received from the 
United States, and it should not be said that Vermont was less 
liberal then than she had been in the past. " The only ques- 
tion now," said the judge, "is, what sum of money would be 
equal to five dollars in 18 12, when money was less abundant, 
and consequently more valuable than it is to-day .■' " He 
thought it would require at least seven dollars to equal five in 
18 1 2, and he therefore moved that non-commissioned officers, 
musicians, and privates receive, in addition to the compensation 
paid them by the United States, the sum of seven dollars a 
month each, to be paid them by the state. 

This important motion was approved by the committee, and 
the act thus amended passed the House ; and in complying 
with its generous provisions three million, one hundred and 
forty-six thousand ($3,146,000) dollars were subsequently paid 
to the enlisted soldiers and their families. 

It goes without saying that, in urging upon his associates 
his view of the situation. Judge Thomas rightly estimated the 
sentiment that pervaded the land of Ethan Allen. Nobly did 
Vermont offer her best blood and treasure on the altar of our 
common country in the hour of peril ; bravely did her patriotic 
sons haste to the front in defence of the dear old flag. A 
quarter of a century has elapsed since war's dread tocsin sum- 
moned them to arms. Sun and rain have bleached the blood- 
stained fields where they fought, and clothed with verdure the 
graves of the fallen. The horrors of battle are followed by 
the blessings of a securer peace. And now in gratitude for the 
service rendered, one who knows its history attempts, as a 
labor of love, to record the sufferings and achievements of one 
of the most prominent regiments that loyal New England sent 
forth to conquer the Great Rebellion. 



The Eighth Vermont. 



ORGANIZATION. 

The insurgent frenzy of the South had become organized, 
defiant rebellion ; the seventy-five thousand volunteers who 
responded to the call of President Lincoln on the fifteenth of 
April, 1861, had served their three months at the front and 
returned home ; the three hundred thousand called for a month 
later were in the field ; a military way had been opened through 
Annapolis to the national capital; the Union arms had suf- 
fered a disastrous rout at Bull Run ; the aristocracy of England 
was seeking a plausible pretext to urge the recognition of the 
Confederacy as a belligerent nation ; and sagacious men in the 
loyal states were beginning to realize that the opening conflict 
was no mere summer campaign, when Gen. Benj. F. Butler of 
Massachusetts was ordered to take command of the depart- 
ment of New England, and to raise in those states a force to 
operate in the far South. 

In pursuance of his instructions he at once made a special 
demand on the patriotism of the people; and in October, 1861, 
he visited the governor of Vermont at Montpelier, to ask his 
co-operation in the work of raising the troops required for this 
service. The answer of the Green Mountain boys was the 



10 THE EIGHTH \ERMONT. 

Eighth Regiment and two batteries, promptly marched into 
camp and reported ready for duty — a brave contribution to the 
Union ranks, when it is remembered that the state had already 
sent one cavalry and six infantry regiments to the front, and 
was recruiting a seventh, when the request of Gen. Butler laid 
an additional burden upon its sturdy shoulders. 

Thus began the history of a band of volunteers, whose faith- 
ful and heroic service in the great struggle to maintain the 
honor of the national flag, it is desired to place on record in 
this volume. Its military career was peculiar and in some 
respects unique, since the regiment was recruited. under direct 
order of the general government with very little assistance 
from local authorities, was formed in the short space of less 
than three months and sent into camp in midwinter, and its 
brigade and corps relations were with troops from other States 
than its own during the entire service. 

As soon as Gen. Butler's wishes were made known, with 
prompt alacrity the state sanctioned the undertaking by the 
passage of a special legislative act ; and thus armed with full 
power to operate, the next step was to secure as commander 
of the proposed regiment a man who stood high in the public 
confidence, and would push the business in hand with the 
utmost vigor. After a brief consultation, the general was con- 
vinced that Hon. Stephen Thomas, formerly judge of probate in 
Orange county, was the right man, and lost no time in tendering 
him the colonelcy, and urging him to accept it without delay. 
At first Judge Thomas hesitated to assume so grave a military 
trust. He was bred to the quiet habits of civil and profes- 
sional life ; he felt the claims and pressure of its manifold 
cares and held his own abilities in modest esteem. He was 
ready to sacrifice, he shrank from no privation or danger, but 
the glories of the man of war had no attraction for him. The 
spell of indecision was of short duration, however, for patriot- 
ism and the earnest desire of personal friends overcame every 
scruple, and Judge Thomas put his hand to the plow, never to 
look back until the armed revolt against his beloved country 
was suppressed. 



RECRUITIXG OFFICERS. II 

His commission was dated November 12, 1861, and from 
that time he ceased to ply the vocations of peace, and entered 
upon his new official duties with the utmost enthusiasm and 
unwearied devotion. His potent energy was everywhere felt ; 
he traversed the length and breadth of the state, making pub- 
lic addresses, and urging on the work of enlistment with the 
greatest ardor. In the choice of capable staff-officers Col. 
Thomas was very fortunate, and it was on his recommendation 
that Mr. Fred E. Smith, of Montpelier, was appointed quarter- 
master, to supplement his efforts. This officer's commission 
was issued on the twenty-third day of November, and he 
proved a most efficient co-laborer in the preparatory work of 
procuring supplies and equipping the men as they came into 
camp, thus relieving his superior officer of the details involved 
in the rapid purchase and distribution of uniforms and other 
supplies. 

As an indispensable part of the machinery of enlistment, the 
colonel appointed in different parts of the state the following 
recruiting officers : 

CHARLES B. CHILD, Derby Line, November iS 

HENRY E. FOSTER, St. Johnsbury, „ iS 

CYRUS B. LEACH, Bradford, „ 19 

EDWARD HALL, Worcester, „ i8 

HIRAM E. PERKINS, St. Albans, „ 19 

SAMUEL G. P. CRAIG, Randolph, „ 18 

HENRY F. DUTTON, Townsend, „ 18 

WILLIAM W. LYNDE, Marlboro, „ iS 

JOHN S. CLARK, Lunenburg, „ 19 

In compliance with their instructions these gentlemen began 
at once the business of enlistment, and as fast as they were 
filled the companies chose their commissioned officers, and 
were assigned places in the regiment corresponding to the 
dates of these elections. 

Company A was recruited by Luman M. Grout and Moses 
McFarland, in Lamoille county and the town of Worcester, 
in Washington county, and was originally intended for the 
Sixth Regiment ; but before the ranks were entirely full the 



12 THE EIGHTH VERMONT 

men were ordered to report at Montpelier, where the adjutant 
general of the state wished to separate them and assign them 
to different companies in the Sixth, which lacked a maximum 
number. To this distribution, however, the members resolutely 
objected, declaring that they had enlisted to serve together ; 
consequently they were ordered back to Hyde Park, to remain 
until the full complement of men was recruited. The maximum 
was reached Nov. 13, and the following officers were imme- 
diately elected : Captain, Luman M. Grout ; First Lieutenant, 
Moses McFarland ; Second Lieutenant, Oilman Rand. 

Company B was recruited by Charles B. Child, of Derby 
Line, assisted by Stephen F. Spalding, Fred D. Butterfield, 
and John Bisbee, during the months of November and Decem- 
ber. It was to their advantage that Mr. Spalding had already 
served with the ninety-days' volunteers who answered to the first 
call of the President, and was familiar with military tactics ; for 
as fast as the members enlisted he began to drill them at Derby 
Line, and prepare them to assume at once the duties of active 
service. The required number of men was obtained on the 
14th of December, and they elected : Captain, Charles B. Child ; 
First Lieutenant, Stephen F, Spalding ; Second Lieutenant, 
Fred D. Butterfield ; and on reaching camp at Brattleboro, 
the company was assigned to the left of the line. 

Company O was raised in Caledonia county, and principally 
in the town of St. Johnsbury. It was recruited by Henry E. 
Foster, was organized about ten days later than Company B, 
and had the honor to be the color company of the regiment. 
On the 25th of December the men elected as commissioned 
officers : Captain, Henry E. Foster ; First Lieuioiajit, Edward 
B. Wright; Second Lieutenant, Frederick J. Fuller. 

Company D procured a majority of its members from 
Bradford, and the complement was filled with small detach- 
ments of men from Fairlee, West Fairlee, Corinth, Topsham, 
Newbury, and Thetford, all adjacent towns in Orange county. 
The company was recruited by the men who subsequently 



COMPANIES. 



13 



served as its commissioned officers, and was organized Decem- 
ber 28th, by the choice of : Captain, Cyrus B. Leach; First Lieu- 
tenant, Alfred E. Getchell ; Second Lieutenant, Darius G. Child. 

Company E had its recruiting station at Worcester, in the 
county of Washington, and the men who superintended the 
enlistment were afterwards elected as its officers. It organized 
on the first day of January, 1S62, and chose: Captain, Edward 
Hall; First Lieutenant, Kilbourn Day; Second Lieutenafit, T. 
P. Kellogg. 

Company F was the sixth in the regiment to report at 
Brattleboro, reaching the camp on the eighth day of January. 
The members were recruited mostly in Franklin county, and 
completed the organization by electing the following officers, 
January 3d : Captain, Hiram E, Perkins ; First Lieutenant, 
Daniel S. Foster ; Second Lieutenant, Carter PI. Nason. 

Company G was the second company recruited in Orange 
county, under the efficient direction of Samuel G. P. Craig 
and John B. Mead, of Randolph, who displayed great activity in 
their efforts to enlist men for the service. In six weeks this 
company was full, and elected officers on the seventh day of 
January, as follows : Captain, Samuel G. P. Craig ; First Lieu- 
tenant. Job W. Green ; Second Lieutenant, John B. Mead. 

Company H was raised in Windham county, under the 
superintendence of Henry F. Dutton, of Townsend, assisted by 
A. B. Franklin, W. H. H. Holton, S. E. Howard, and W. H. 
Smith. It was organized January 17th, by the choice of officers : 
Captain, Henry F, Dutton ; First Lieutenant, Alvin B. Franklin, 
Second Lieutenant, W. H, H. Holton. 

Company I was recruited by William W. Lynde, of Marl- 
boro, with the help of George N, Holland and George E. 
Selleck. The men enlisted during the months of December 
and January, and rendezvoused at Williamsville, where they 
were drilled in military tactics by Mr. Selleck. On the seven- 



14 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 



teenth day of January the company organized, and elected as 
officers: Captain, William, W. Lynde ; First Lieutenant, George 
N. Holland ; Second Lieutenant, Joshua C. Morse. 

Company K was the last to report in camp, and completed 
the number required for the Eighth Regiment. It was 
recruited by John S. Clark, of Lunenburg, and elected its three 
commissioned officers January 22d : Captain, John S. Clark ; 
First Lieutenant, A, J. Howard ; Second Lientenatit, George F. 
French. 

The field and staff officers of the regiment, appointed and 
commissioned by the governor, are given below, with the dates 
of their respective commissions : 

Colonel, .... Stephen Thomas, Commissioned November 12, 1861. 

Lieut. Colonel, Edward M. Brown, „ January 9, 1862. 



Major, .... Charles Dillingham, 

Quai-terniaster, Fred E. Smith, 

Adjutant, . . . John L. Barstow, 

Surgeon, .... George ¥. Gale, 

Ass't Surgeon, H. H. GiLLETT, 

Chaplain, . . . Rev. Francis C. Williams, 



January 19, 1862. 
November 23, 1861. 
February 19, 1862. 
November 23, 1861. 
December 10, 1861. 
December 20, 1861. 



Col. Thomas appointed the following non-commissioned 
staff : Sergeant Major, George N. Carpenter ; Qnai'terntaster 
Sergeant, J. Elliot Smith ; Commissary Sergeant, Lewis Child ; 
Drnm Major, Gershom H. Flagg ; Hospital Steward, Samuel 
H. Currier, M. D. 

The First Battery was chiefly raised through the exertions 
of George W. Duncan, of South Shaftsbury, and George T. 
Hebard, of Chelsea, who were appointed for that service 
November 19, 186 r. It contained one hundred and fifty-six 
men, including officers, and as the result of an election held 
January 16, 1862, the following choice was made : Captain, 
George W. Duncan ; First Lieutenants, George T. Hebard and 
Henry N. Colburn ; Second Lieutenants, Salmon B. Hebard and 
Edward Rice. It reported to Col. Thomas in Brattleboro, on 
the twentieth day of January. 



A PECULIAR REGIMExYT. I^ 

The Second Battery was recruited by Lensie R. Sayles, and 
contained one hundred and thirty men, and was mustered into 
service December i6, 1861, having previously elected officers 
as follows : Captain, Lensie R. Sayles ; First Lieutenants, C. 
D. Smith and Benj. N. Dyer ; Second Lieutenants, John A. 
Quilty and John W. Chase. This battery went into camp at 
Lowell, Mass. 

The following abstract of a report furnished by an officer of 
the regiment, gives in detail the arduous work of organization 
that devolved on the quartermaster and his assistants : 

The Eighth Regiment and the First and Second Batteries of 
artillery were raised by authority of the legislature of the state, 
and were recruited, armed, and equipped by Col. Thomas, 
under direct instructions from the United States government, 
through Gen. B. F. Butler, These troops consequently stood 
in entirely different relations to the state from other volunteers 
■who went from Vermont. Regiments enlisted by the state 
received care and supplies from state officials, but the troops 
raised by Col. Thomas could not look to Vermont for any aid, 
and the responsibility and labor of providing for them devolved 
wholly upon him and his staff. Li a very important sense they 
belonged to the general government, and not to the state where 
they enlisted, and must look to the general government for 
whatever they required. They were not entitled to share in 
the state aid which was so lavishly provided for other Vermont 
troops. On leaving for the front, the only state property they 
took with them was a lot of " sectional houses " which the men 
never wanted, and did not use after leaving Camp Holbrook. 

Being thus thrown on their own resources and compelled to 
obtain supplies as best they could through red-tape avenues, 
the members of the Eighth Regiment developed as young Ver- 
monters of spirit are apt to do under such circumstances. 
The experience made them self-reliant, rugged, able to meet 
and endure the hard life in store for them. In their veins 
flowed the best blood of the Green Mountain state ; and 
being forced to depend upon their own exertions, such men 



J 5 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

were bound to make a reputation for ability and bravery, and 
achieve a fame that would be the glory of the state. 

In order to encourage and promote rapid enlistments, Col. 
Thomas and Quartermaster Smith were continually on the 
move among the recruiting stations, from Brattleboro to Derby 
Line, working days and travelling nights ; holding war meetings 
and making addresses; contracting for supplies and* transporta- 
tion, paying bills, and seeing that the work was pushed forward 
with the utmost vigor. 

It was fortunate that, in selecting his staff. Col. Thomas 
chose practical business men, some of whom had previously 
served the state in organizing and furnishing other outgoing 
regiments. 

To make a proper estimate of the case, it must be borne in 
mind that the regiment bivouacked in the middle of a Vermont 
winter of unusual severity, amid deep snows, when the thermom- 
eter ranged from ten to fifteen degrees below zero. Their only 
shelter was a lot of cheap sectional wooden houses/less conven- 
ient and comfortable than tents would have been. Their mess- 
house was a rough shed, and the hospital for the sick was but 
little better. Under such inhospitable conditions the men 
resolutely and patiently set themselves about the task of learn- 
ing the duties of the soldier, and practicing the necessary daily 
drill. Is it any wonder that a regiment that displayed such 
devotion, endurance, and industry, proved efficient in the ser- 
vice and made its mark in the army .' 

The "winter of their discontent" was not unrelieved by 
amusing and pleasant experiences, as when Col. Thomas found 
in the village certain dealers who continued to supply "evil 
spirits " to his men, after being warned to desist. He did not 
wait for the slow and quibbling course of the prohibitory law, 
but confronted the offenders with a file of soldiers with fixed 
bayonets, and the sellers were glad to make satisfactory terms. 
One day some mischief-loving assistant in the cook's depart- 
ment intimated to the boys that the meat that was cooking for 
dinner was hurt. Maj. Frank Goodhue heard the report and 
sought counsel of Quartermaster Smith as to the proper course 



GOING INTO CAMP. 



17 



to be pursued, for the exasperated boys threatened to pull down 
the cook-house. It was agreed that the regiment should be 
told, as they were falling in for dinner, to observe the quality of 
the beef, and if it proved to be bad and furnished by the 
caterer knowing its condition, they might raze his quarters to 
the ground. What shouts went up from the tables, when, on 
marching in, they found not only wholesome meat, but every 
man a bowl of savory oysters, hot from the suspected stew-pan. 

The Eighth Regiment have many grateful recollections of 
kind attentions from the ladies of Brattleboro, and especially 
of necessities and delicacies sent to their quarters for the sick. 

On the 8th of December, Quartermaster Smith was ordered 
to Brattleboro to secure grounds, arrange barracks, and make 
all necessary preparations for the reception of recruits at the 
beginning of the new year. From that time until the regiment 
quitted the state, his labors were manifold, and his duties 
required close attention and the utmost exertion dav and night. 



CAMP HOLBROOK. 

Seldom do civilized men experience a more abrupt and 
thorough change in their mode of existence than did Uncle 
Sam's raw recruits on quitting their homes for the first trial of 
camp life. To take an outing in midsummer, and dwell in 
tents for a few bright days, as Whittier and his three friends 
did on Salisbury beach, or as many others have done, in abso- 
lute abandon, and ruled by no law more exacting than one's 
own sweet will, may be restful and poetic. It is quite another 
thing — be you volunteer or conscript, it is all the same- — to 
march into camp to the martial beat of a drum, there to surren- 
der your personal liberty, and obey the iron-hearted despot 
who in ancient times was styled the dread god of war. Those 
only who have tried it can realize what it is to forsake all the 
wonted ways of civil and social custom, — family, business, 
society, church, scene, however simple or prosaic, — and form 
new and strange associations under the pressure of a rigorous 



1 8 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

law, that forbids indulgence and ease, and reduces one's imped- 
iiiienta and rations to the limits of bare necessity. 

When the boys of the Eighth Regiment turned their backs 
on the comforts of their own firesides, and said farewell to all 
their dear ones, it was a change to chill anything less temper- 
ate than true Yankee patriotism, for them to bivouac in the 
dead middle of a hard Vermont winter, in rude wooden build- 
ings standing on the open plain like very bleak-houses to cut 
the northern blast. Used to all the devices by which Green 
Mountain farmers know so well how to rob the frost-king of his 
icy terrors, it was a real sacrifice, a genuine test of pluck, for 
them voluntarily to adopt a mode of life in which paucity of 
comforts and manifold trials were the common lot. 

The place selected for a camp was a short distance south- 
west of the village of Brattleboro. The elevation was high, 
and the field afforded ample room, both for the quarters of the 
soldiers, and a parade ground for company and battalion drills. 
It was christened in honor of Governor Holbrook, and proved 
to be so well adapted as a place of temporary rendezvous for 
the state troops, that it was retained and used for that purpose 
until the close of the war. 

As already intimated, the winter of 1861-62 was one of unu- 
sual severity ; snow began to fall very early in the season, and 
came to stay, for each new storm added to its depth, and the 
weather was extremely cold. To increase their discomfort, the 
portable wooden buildings in which the men were quartered 
were by no means fitted to resist the inclemency of such a 
winter, being constructed in a hasty manner, like summer 
houses at the beach. They were heated with large wood 
stoves, and the sleeping berths for the use of the men were 
ranged on each side, one above another. Through the day the 
occupants huddled together, and by burning a very liberal 
supply of fuel, managed to keep themselves comfortably warm, 
in an atmosphere reeking with the steam from damp garments, 
and tobacco smoke ; but at night, when they had laid themselves 
away upon the shelves of bunks provided for them, and were 
disposed to sleep, it was found that a degree of heat necessary 



LEARXrXG THE TACTICS. ig 

to keep those in the lower berths warm nearly suffocated their 
comrades in the dormitories over their heads. The natural 
result of this ill-conditioned regimen was that scores of boys 
fell sick with severe colds, and the surgeons not only had a 
little foretaste of army practice, but soon had a hospital full of 
patients ; chills and fever attacked a large number, and shortly 
after the measles and mumps broke out in the camp. 

Still, to the credit of the brave boys be it said, they seldom 
made any complaint, even though camp fare did not compare 
favorably with the abundance and variety with which their own 
tables at home were spread. It is true that their ideas not 
un frequently differed from those of the cook about the best way 
of preparing certain delicacies, but they were too well-bred and 
considerate to intrude their personal preferences upon his 
notice, unless they were exasperated by finding too much sea- 
soning in the broth ; and the only time that a strongly pro- 
nounced murmur escaped' their lips was, when the surgeon 
tried to deceive them with sundry doses of " preventatives " 
surreptitiously mingled with the soup. 

The bare details of that training process which rapidly con- 
verts a force of undisciplined citizens into a regiment of 
soldiers, drilled in military tactics and equipped for a campaign, 
would make very monotonous reading. But, common as such 
experience became during the first years of the war, each 
act of this metamorphosis was novel and deeply interesting 
to the fresh recruits ; even the awkward manoeuvres and the 
inevitable blunders displayed during the process of martial 
education had a fascination for the learner, which might seem 
almost unaccountable in the retrospect, after he became a 
veteran in the service. But, simple as the task may appear, it 
was no boys' play for even the most earnest in those schools of 
tactics to curb the native waywardness of the free citizen, and 
compel eyes, hands, and feet to obey with promptness and pre- 
cision the stern commands addressed to the ear. They were no 
more at ease in blue uniforms than was the rural David going 
forth to fight Goliath in a coat of mail. A gun in their hands 
was an awkward weapon, more likely to harm themselves than 



20 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

to hurt anybody else; and, in this case, as always happens when 
full-grown men attempt to learn new movements, they dis- 
covered how to do it long before the muscles would respond, 
and it was often like taking some stronghold of an enemy to 
bring their limbs into subjection, and make them and their 
equipments 

. . . . "but as the hands 
Of loyal vassals toiling for their liege." 

One of the amusing incidents in the earlier camp experience 
transpired when Quartermaster Smith issued to the future 
soldiers the stock of clothing furnished by the government for 
their use. It was clear that Uncle Sam's contracting tailor 
who made the garments had no idea of measuring the man and 
then fitting his suit ; he seemed rather to expect that, having 
made the uniforms according to certain patterns, it would be 
the duty of the officers who distributed them to fit each wearer 
to his clothes, as Procrustes, the Attic highwayman, fitted 
victims to his bed. As a fact, however, when the time came to 
exchange the citizen's dress for the soldier's garb, it provoked a 
deal of hilarious mirth to see a square-shouldered, portly man 
struggling to encase his ample limbs in trousers scant enough 
to please a dude ; while a lean, light-weight comrade fairly lost 
his corporeal identity in the baggy capacity of a fat man's coat. 
Nor were the seams of these new garments always equal to the 
strain to which they were subjected, so that in the course of the 
first week after they were donned, many of the wearers had to 
resort to the spools and cushions thoughtfully provided by a 
loving wife or mother, and turn bushelman. Whether these 
government suits were warm enough for service in Camp 
Holbrook at the season of midwinter need not be too curiously 
questioned, since they were quite equal to resisting the milder 
air at the mouth of the Mississippi, a few weeks later ; but for 
real comfort, so long as they tarried in Brattleboro, it were 
better had each man been clad, like the doughty warriors of the 
renowned Mynheer Michael Paw, in ten pairs of- linsey-woolsey 
breeches. 



P2 

o 



pj 



o 
o 




THE FIRST DRESS PARADE. 21 

But on entering the camp, every company, whether disposed 
to make its discomforts a subject of sport or complaint, was at 
once subjected to a rigid course of military discipline, which was 
not relaxed until they ceased to be soldiers. Morning naps 
were disturbed by the reveille, followed by the roll-call ; unaccus- 
tomed ears soon became used to the various calls for policing 
the camp, detail for the day, sick call, guard mounting, and com- 
pany drill. For some time the daily drill consisted simply of 
marching and other company movements ; but about the middle 
of January guns and knapsacks were received, and then the 
regiment, by squads and companies, was exercised every morning 
in the manual of arms. At first the handling of muskets was 
awkward business, and even those who took pride in the use 
of "shooting irons" in the capacity of hunters, were as likely 
as their less expert comrades to accompany the "right shoulder 
shift" with a right elbow punch, or to let the breech of a gun 
drop heavily on some protruding toes, when the command came : 
" Order arms ! " But patient effort in due time conquered the 
annoyances of the "awkward squad," and on the sixteenth day 
of the month the regiment, proud of its military achievements, 
held its first dress parade. It must in candor be admitted that 
the performance was not an entire success ; but the next was 
an improvement, and very soon it came to be the common 
practice for friends of the soldiers and citizens of Brattle- 
boro to repair to the camp every pleasant afternoon to 
witness this interesting spectacle. No one who was present 
will ever forget the praiseworthy efforts of the drum corps to 
master the various scores ; or, when Adjutant Barstow had 
brought his men to parade-rest, how proudly kin,d-hearted 
Drum-Major Flagg led his band up and down the line, beating 
the air with his drawn sword as a baton. 

Nor was it in the ranks alone that a rigid course of instruc- 
tion in arms was pursued ; the commissioned officers, too, needed 
lessons, and several evenings each week they assembled at the 
headquarters of the colonel, and were taught the manual of 
arms and the various regimental movements. In this business 
Col. Thomas was ably assisted by Lieut. Col. Brown and Maj. 



22 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Dillingham, both of whom had served in the Army of the 
Potomac. 

At length the novelty of the situation wore off, the men 
became habituated to their new mode of life, the reins of author- 
ity were drawn a little tighter, members who were home on short 
furloughs were recalled, and everything was put in readiness to 
break camp whenever the order should be received. There was 
some delay, however, in mustering the regiment into the service 
of the United States, for Gov. Holbrook would not consent 
that it should be done until the recruiting expenses had been 
paid by the general government. But on the eighteenth day 
of February, arrangements being completed, the transfer was 
formally effected, and the regiment was mustered into the great 
loyal army of the Union, the muster rolls being dated January 
2 1st, at which time the regiment was full. 

Then followed restless days of waiting for orders to go to 
the front. The men were on the qui vive of expectation, and 
the camp was full of rumors as to their destination. One day 
it would be reported that the regiment would embark at once 
for Port Royal ; the next day it seemed equally probable that 
Fortress Monroe would shortly throw its impregnable walls 
around the untried soldiers ; then this rumor in turn faded be- 
fore a later one, that Camp Holbrook was to be deserted for the 
battle-ground of the Army of the Potomac. These and many 
equally reliable pieces of news had their run like epidemics 
through the lines, and then died out, until by and by the men 
came to the conclusion that such speculations were vain, since 
no reliable information on the subject had yet been made 
public. 

Meanwhile, February 21st, the enlisted men received the 
first instalment of their state pay, which was at the rate of 
seven dollars a month ; and seven days later the sum was aug- 
mented by the receipt of the wages due them from the United 
States. 

Every detail was now carefully attended to, and the regiment 
appeared to be about ready to move, when the medical stores 
were found to be scanty, and another delay was caused, while 



ROSTER OF OFFICERS. 



23 



Col. Thomas and Surgeon Gale, after persistent demands, suc- 
ceeded in obtaining a limited supply for their use. 

It is a curious comment oh the public opinion prevailing at 
that time, that when the regiment was on dress parade on the 
fifteenth day of the month. Col. Thomas read to them a tele- 
gram just received, announcing the capture of Fort Donelson 
by Gen. Grant, and told the men that unless they started for 
the front at once, the army of the west would end the war 
and have all the honor. How little did any man realize at that 
time the gigantic strength of the new-fledged confederacy ! 
'The brave men whose eager faces looked resolutely southward 
on that bright winter afternoon, could not read in the horo- 
scope of the near future the years of hardship, and fighting, and 
glory awaiting them, or the sacrifice of noble blood that must 
be made, before the insulted Union flag could wave again above 
the reddened field. 

In less than thirty days after this speech, so touching to 
soldierly pride, the looked-for order came, the camp was 
deserted, adieus were said, and the brave boys of the Eighth 
Vermont, with cheers of loved ones ringing in their ears, were 
hurrying to the front as fast as steam and wind could carry 
them ; storm-blast and snow-bank were exchanged for tropic 
sunshine, and a life of waiting for the excitement and peril of 
real conflict. 

On the 4th of March, 1862, the whistle blew, and a long 
train rolled away from the station at Brattleboro, bearing the 
regiment and the First Battery to tide-water, while hundreds of 
assembled friends and citizens waved back their signals of fare- 
well, as the space widened between them and the dear faces 
they might never look upon again. 

The regiment left the state with the following roster of 

FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS : 

Stephen Thomas Colonel. 

E. M. Brown Lieutenant Colonel. 

Charles Dillingham Major. 

John L. Barstow Adjutant. 

Fred E. Smith Quartermaster. 

George F. Gale Surgeon. 

H. H. Gillett Ass't Surgeon. 

Rev. Francis C. Williams Chaplain. 



24 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

ISfON-COMMISSIONED STAFF: 

George N. Carpenter Sergeant Major. 

J. Elliot Smith Qj/arfermaster Sergeant. 

Lewis Child Commissary Sergeant. 

Gershom H. Flagg Drujn Major. 

Dr. S. H. Currier Hospital Steward. 

LINE OFFICERS: 

L. M. Grout Captain. ) 

Moses McFarland First LieHtenant.\iZovn'^2i\\y A. 

G. S. Rand Second Lieutenant. ) 

C. B. Child Captain. ) 

Stephen F. Spalding First Lieutenant. > Company B. 

Fred D. Butterfield .... Second Liejitenant. ) 

Henry E. Foster Captain. ) 

E. B. Wright L'irst Lientenant. > Compa.ny C. 

F. J. Fuller Second Lieutenant. ) 

C. B. Leach . Captain, i 

A. E. Getchell First Lieutenant. > Company D. 

D. G. Child Second Lieutenant. ) 

Edward Hall Captain. ) 

KiLBURN Day First Lieutena/tt.>Compa.ny E. 

T. B. Kellogg Second Lieutenant. ) 

Hiram E. Perkins Captain. ) 

D. S. Foster First Lieutenant. \ Company F. 

C. H. Nason Second Lieutenant. ; 

S. G. P. Craig Captain. ) 

J.W.Green First Lieutenant. > Company G. 

John B. Mead Second Lieutenant. ) 

H. F. DUTTON Captain. ) 

A. B. Franklin First IJeutena7it. > Company H. 

W. H. H. HoLTON Second Lieutenant. ) 

W. W. Lynde Captain. ) 

G. N. Holland First Lietitenant. > Company I. 

J. C. Morse Second Lieictenant. ) 

John S. Clark Captain. ) 

A.J.Howard First Lieutenant. \ Company K. 

G. F. French Second lAeidenant. ) 



GOING TO THE FRONT. 

The route of the train which bore the regiment southward 
lay all that day in the picturesque valley of the " winding and 
willow-fringed" Connecticut, opening its rugged arms in wide 
and wider levels of fertile meadow, from the point where it 
enters the Bay State to the coast where the sea receives it. 
White gleamed the lessening peaks of their native hills as the 



THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY. 



25 



gallant sons of Vermont were rapidly whirled beyond eye-reach 
of outlines long familiar, and dearer than all others, even when 
clad in •an envelope of snow ; but the winter glories of the 
richest valley in New England allured them with a long pan- 
orama of swimming river skirted with ragged sheets of ice, the 
guard of eternal hills standing on the right hand and on the left, 
the snug villages and occasional city with roofs and steeples 
flashing back the icy sunbeams. Calmly old Tom and Holyoke 
gazed down upon them as they passed, and said, " Two genera- 
tions have lived since the Deerfield massacre, and your hot 
blood will cool soon enough. Lo! we watch out the ages." 
The waters pulsing athwart the dam that turns the mighty 
current upon the laboring v/heels of Holyoke mills, gave a 
leap as the freight of consecrated patriots hastened past to save 
the honor of the nation ; and no object in nature, except the 
cold lips of the heartless ocean, failed to respond that day to a 
touch of the loftiest sentiment that has ever swayed the hearts 
of men. 

All along" the lines of the railroad over which they traversed, 
their coming had been anticipated, and often as the train neared 
a village or a solitary neighborhood of farmhouses, signals of 
encouragement and miniature flags were displayed, in token of 
a hearty God-speed from all the inmates. A halt was made at 
Northampton, where a burst of enthusiasm was excited by the 
exhibition of a rebel flag which a Massachusetts regiment 
serving in North Carolina had captured and sent home. On 
reaching Springfield the migrating boys in blue were tendered 
a warm reception by the assembled citizens, and entertained 
with generous refreshment, prepared and served by the ladies 
of the city; and as the train moved on again a thousand loyal 
voices shouted their thanks and farewells to the parting crowd. 

The low sun had set and it was twilight when the train 
reached the wharf at New Haven, where the steamer Granite 
.State lay waiting to receive the soldiers on board. Men and 
baggage were transferred to the boat, the giant engine took its 
turn at the laboring oar, and the weary men, after a sound 
night's sleep, woke up in full view of New York. As the 



26 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Sound steamer neared the dock two staunch saiHng vessels, the 
James Hovey and the Wallace, were seen at anchor in East 
river, which the regiment learned were prepared to take them 
to sea, they knew not whither. As soon as a landing was 
made a detail of men was left to transfer the baggage to these 
vessels, and the regiment, refreshed and in excellent spirits, 
marched to City Hall park and were served with morning 
rations. During the day they were greeted by a large number 
of sons of Vermont resident in the city, and in the afternoon 
six companies of the regiment were ordered on board the 
Hovey, while the remaining four with the First Vermont 
Battery were bestowed on the Wallace. Before going aboard, 
however, the resident Vermonters requested Col. Thomas to 
march the regiment up town, where they proposed to tender 
their soldier brothers a collation, but it was impracticable ; and 
in the evening the colonel and his staff, with the line officers, 
accepted an invitation to an elegant banquet at the Metropolitan 
Hotel, in the course of which ringing patriotic speeches were 
made by Hon. E. W. Stoughton, Col. Frank E. .Howe, and 
other citizens of New York, arid also by Col. Thomas in behalf 
of his regiment. This kindly courtesy tendered by personal 
friends on the eve of their departure to engage in the perilous 
work before them, was deeply appreciated by the officers, and 
will never be forgotten by the survivors of the regiment. Col. 
Thomas, Major Dillingham, Assistant Surgeon Gillett, and 
Quartermaster Smith, accompanied the troops on the Hovey, 
and Lieut. Col. Brown, Adjutant Barstow, and Surgeon Gale, 
those on the Wallace. 

It was regarded as a critical time for such craft as the 
Hovey and Wallace to put to sea, on account of the danger to 
be apprehended from Confederate gun-boats. It was known 
that the rebel iron-clad Merrimac was already equipped for the 
work of destruction in Atlantic waters, and sent out specially 
to prey upon Federal commerce, and menace the Union navy. 
There were many fearful stories current about the formidable 
character of this vessel, and the intention of the Confederate 
government to send her up the northern coast to destroy loyal 



UXDER SEALED ORDERS. 2/ 

cities and shipping. What if the defenceless sailing vessels 
that bore the Eighth Regiment should chance to encounter 
this terrible monster on the high seas, was a question to make 
the timid turn pale, especially as they had not even ammuni- 
tion for their rifles. Indeed, so strong a hold had this idea 
taken of the public mind, that Col. Thomas was repeatedly 
warned against exposing his men to the threatened danger ; 
even Governor Seymour protested that it was unsafe for 'him to 
venture out without suitable convoys to resist the enemy in 
case of attack. But the brave commander met all such objec- 
tions with the reply that he had orders to sail ; and, like a good 
soldier, he should obey them, leaving the responsibility where 
it belonged. Accordingly, on the afternoon of the 9th instant, 
the Hovey and the Wallace swung into the stream and were 
towed down to Sandy Hook, where they were anchored for the 
night, and made ready to put to sea early the following morn- 
ing. Meanwhile the men were busy writing farewell letters 
home, and there was no little solicitude about their destination, 
for they sailed under sealed orders, which could not be opened 
until the ships had passed out of sight of land. 

There is very little that admits of extended description in 
this voyage down a boisterous coast at that most inclement 
season of the year. Nearly the entire passage was tediously 
rough, and the men, most of whom were never afloat on salt 
water before, were prostrated with seasickness. Both vessels 
were blown many miles out of their course by a heavy and 
protracted gale, and parted company before the first night 
closed in upon them. On breaking the seal it was found that 
the regiment was ordered to report to Brig. Gen. Phelps, at 
Ship Island, in the Gulf of Mexico, so that the first land seen 
after Sandy Hook disappeared from view was the Florida coast. 
The daily experience on board these crafts included the many 
discomforts incident to an over-crowded cabin, a stormy pas- 
sage, and general prostration. Nothing was seen of the for- 
midable Merrimac, and only once, near the end of the voyage, 
did anything occur to arouse the slightest fear of attack. One 
day a steamer was sighted on the horizon, apparently bearing 



28 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

down upon the Hovey, which brought the New York rumors so 
forcibly to mind that a sensible quiver of trepidation seized upon 
the nerves of some of the half-exhausted men ; but the captain 
ran up his flag, and soon had the pleasure of seeing the stars and 
stripes displayed from the approaching gun-boat. Both ships 
weathered Key West on the first day of April, and twenty-seven 
days after leaving Sandy Hook, the Hovey arrived at Ship 
Island, and there was great cheering among the boys when, a 
few hours later, the Wallace hove in sight and dropped anchor 
beside her. Inquiry showed that, barring sea sickness, the pas- 
sengers on the former vessel had enjoyed excellent health ; but 
several men on the Wallace were quite ill during the voyage, and 
one^of their number, Enos L. Davis, of Company I, died and 
was buried at sea with the customary service. 

Ship Island, on which the Eighth Regiment made its first 
landing, is simply a bar or mound of clean white sand rising 
out of the northern waters of the Gulf of Mexico, in nearly the 
same latitude as New Orleans, and northeast of the deltas of 
the Mississippi. It is about seven miles in length and from 
half a mile to a mile in width. Most of this sandy area is bare 
of vegetation, though' there is a small growth of timber at the 
eastern extremity, and wild grass covers some of the depres- 
sions or basins here and there on the general surface. The 
surface is low, and during the prevalence of very high tides or 
severe and protracted storms, the sea has been known to break 
over the entire island. 

From this description it would not seem to be a place 
peculiarly fitted for a military camp, but just the reverse. 
Gen. Butler, however, found it better suited to his purposes at 
that time than any other he could command, and had fixed his 
headquarters on the highest ground it contained. A force of 
soldiers could easily be provisioned there from the Federal 
transports, and as to water, it was only necessary to sink a 
barrel into the sand to obtain an ample supply that was fresh 
and sweet. But, as it happened, the Eighth Regiment had 
scarcely pitched their tents before a storm set in which proved 



ON SHIP ISLAND. 29 

to be one of the most terrific that had visited tlie place for 
many years. One half the bar was soon submerged, and the spot 
on which the men had chosen to bivouac was swept by the 
in-rolling seas, and the soldiers were forced to retreat with all 
their belongings from point to point, before an advancing foe 
which cared no more for their guns and bayonets than did the 
Atlantic Ocean for Mrs. Partington's broom. Several members 
of a Western regiment encamped hard by were killed by the 
sharp lightning, and there was grave reason to fear that, if the 
storm lasted twenty-four hours longer, the entire army would 
be swept into the sea, to meet the same inglorious fate that 
threatened the fleet of yEneas, when pursued by jealous Juno. 

As soon as its quarters were permanently fixed, the regiment 
resumed daily drill in military movements. There were then 
eighteen thousand troops on the island, and on the ninth day 
of April Gen. Butler ordered them all out for inspection and 
review. This was the first grand parade in which the Eighth 
Regiment had ever participated, and the march and counter- 
march along the shore gave the new recruits some idea of the 
manoeuvring of large bodies of soldiers. 

The sojourn on Ship Island was on the whole monotonous, 
although the movements of the gun-boats, and the occasional 
arrival of a prize ship, captured while attempting to run the 
blockade, afforded some diversion ; and one day a squad of 
Confederate prisoners, the first the Vermont boys had seen, were 
landed on the island, where they underwent a very rigid inspec- 
tion by hundreds of curious eyes. It was true, of course, that 
a live rebel was only a Southern citizen dressed in Confederate 
gray ; but somehow the Green Mountain boys, in spite of that 
fact, gorgonized the captives as though they had been as many 
ferocious cannibals from the South Pacific, or specimens of the 
strange beings whom Baron Munchausen encountered during 
his' famous adventures in foreign lands. 

Gen. Phelps, who had been in command of the troops on the 
island before the arrival of Gen. Butler, was from Vermont, 
and went out with the First Regiment, who were ninety-days 
men. Many of them, by the way, re-enlisted in the Seventh and 



30 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Eighth, and were pleased on reaching Ship Island to find 
'themselves again under their old commander. Gen. Phelps 
was a man of great integrity and simplicity of character, whose 
straightforward honesty was only equalled by his disgust for 
display and shams. One incident will illustrate this pecu- 
liarity. 

A regiment of New York zouaves had landed on the island, 
and as the general was sauntering thoughtfully along one morn- 
ing a young officer in fantastic uniform saluted him. Gen. 
Phelps turned and surveyed him with apparent surprise, and 
asked curtly : 

" Who are you t " 

" I'm a zouave." 

" What is that } " 

" An officer of a zouave regiment, sir." 

" An officer ! I thought you were a circus clown." 

A temporary device for relieving the tedium of this insular life 
was the issuing and reading of a small newspaper, called the 
News Letter. The regiment brought among the baggage a com- 
plete printing-press, and when Gen. Butler was apprised of the 
fact, although it seemed to be a rather singular engine of war, 
he ordered it to be set up, and put in order for use. Private 
Eastman, of Company K, who was a practical printer, took 
charge of the business, and established his printing-office near 
the headquarters of Col. Thomas, and thenceforward published 
the orders as they were issued, in due and regular fashion. 

Thus far the Eighth Vermont had taken no part in the great 
national struggle. Theirs had been the negative duty of getting 
ready for action and waiting for a summons. But the time was 
close at hand when they must join their comrades in the thick 
of the fight, and know what it meant to be under fire. Capt. 
Porter's mortar-boats had anchored below Forts Jackson and 
St. Philip, and Farragut's gun-boats were in position, when on 
the eighteenth of April, the sound of heavy cannonading to the 
westward apprised the camp at Ship Island that the bombard- 
ment had begun that was soon to open the Mississippi for the 



A FIGHT FOR ENTRANCE. 3 1 

free entrance of the Union navy. For three successive days 
the fleet pounded away at the fortresses guarding the water 
approaches to New Orleans, and then Capt. Farragut called 
together his captains for consultation, and it was determined 
that an attempt should be made to run past the forts. It was 
an exploit full of difficulty and danger, and the chief hope of 
success lay in taking advantage of the opportune moment, and 
pushing up the river with rapidity and caution ; for no one on 
board knew what obstacles they would have to encounter, or 
what snares the enemy had prepared for them. But the hand 
of present duty pointed northward, and, the orders being given, 
preparations were quickly made. Shortly after one o'clock on 
the morning of the twenty-fourth instant the signal for action 
was heard, and in the course of the next two hours the fleet was 
in motion. The fight that ensued was a desperate one, but in 
due time Farragut's flag-ship Hartford and nine other boats 
passed up and out of range of the guns of the forts, when they 
immediately encountered a fleet of a dozen Confederate gun- 
boats, and a sharp engagement took place. 

The plucky Union captain was victor, as all the world 
knows, and passed on up the channel of the river, meeting 
with no further resistance until he reached Chalmette, about 
three miles below New Orleans. Here land-batteries sta- 
tioned on each bank of the stream opened fire upon the 
fleet ; but after a short engagement their guns were silenced, 
and Farragut pushed on again. Above this point the gun- 
boats ran among vessels freighted with burning cotton and 
boats loaded with timber all ablaze, which the disconsolate 
enemy sent down upon them. But these obstacles did not 
hinder a fleet that had just run a gauntlet of shot and shell, 
and about noon, during a violent thunder-storm, the defi- 
ant people of the Crescent City were astonished to see the 
Yankee boats drop anchor in their harbor. But the Confederate 
troops, persuaded that they could no longer hold the position^ 
had set fire to the shipping and wharves, stores of goods, and 
other combustibles, and fled from the city ; so that for miles the 
approach of the Union vessels was between parallel lines of 



32 THE EIGHTH JERMONT. 

blaze and smoke. New Orleans, therefore, offered no armed 
resistance to the entrance of the marines, and the next day 
Capt. Bell, with a detachment of a hundred men, went ashore 
and raised the American flag above the United States mint. 

After Farragut had passed up the river, Capt. Porter contin- 
ued to bombard the two forts, while Gen. Butler, co-operating 
with him, threw a force in the rear, bringing his guns also to 
bear directly on the strongholds of the enemy. Unable to hold 
out longer, and seeing no chance to escape, the Confederates 
surrendered to Capt. Porter on the 27th instant, and communi- 
cation was opened with Gen. Butler, who immediately placed the 
works in charge of a garrison of his own troops. Then taking 
two regiments of infantry and a battery, he steamed up the 
river and reached New Orleans on the first day of May. There 
Capt. Farragut received his hearty congratulations and immedi- 
ately turned over the captured city to the general, who went 
ashore and established his headquarters at the St. Charles 
Hotel. 

It was there that Butler found the first work for his Green 
Mountain regiment waiting on Ship Island, and orders were 
sent for them to break camp and come to him without delay. A 
number of the men were sick in the hospital when the sum- 
mons was received, and were left behind in charge of Chaplain 
Williams. Two had died, and found their last resting-place in 
the shifting sands of that lonely island. They were Charles S. 
Lamb, of Company D, and Corporal George Walker, of Com- 
pany G. 

NEW ORLEANS. 

Once more the Eighth Regiment with the baggage were 
crowded on board the James Hovey, and, after some delay in 
getting a tug to tow them up the river, started for New Orleans. 
Their progress inland was full of excitement and delight. As 
the ship slowly passed under the walls of Forts Jackson and 
St. Philip, the men were aware, of course, that a stubborn battle 
had been fought there, but could not then realize that it was 



UP THE MISSISSIPPI. 33 

the scene of a naval achievement that made the brave Farras-ut 

o 

one of the great heroes of history. Over the forts so recently 
surmounted by Confederate colors, the stars and stripes were 
floating ; and the regiment gave them a rousing salute, which 
was answered by the garrison. To the untried soldiers this was 
the gate of war, which once passed, they felt assured that there 
would be no more idle suspense for them. But the momentary 
thought of what a baptism of fire and blood might be in store 
for them was quickly dissipated, as the rich landscapes of lower 
Louisiana opened to their gaze. On either hand, as far as the 
eye could penetrate, stretched the broad and level country, 
clothed with tropical vegetation, and bright with spring-time 
colors ; the air was fragrant with the odors of flowers, and 
melodious with the songs of strange birds. The banks of the 
river were lined with negroes, staring in wide-mouthed wonder 
at the Yankees ; and above the quarantine were extensive 
sugar plantations, and the houses of their opulent owners, 
separated by a wide street from the cabins of their slaves. 
In the nearer view were large magnolia trees in full bloom, 
and orange groves bearing tempting fruit, while beyond stood 
forests of live-oak, weird and gray with their long beards of 
pendent moss. The water was very high, and whenever the 
channel lay near the bank, the men discovered that they were 
floating at a level of some fifteen or twenty feet above the 
houses and gardens along the shore, which were protected from 
inundation by strong levees. 

The accommodations for officers on board the vessel were 
rather limited, and at dinner the table had to be set over two 
or three times before all could be served. By the time the 
second lieutenants reached the table there was a "plentiful 
lack" of the viands they craved. Feeling aggrieved on this 
account, they assembled on deck, and held an indignation 
meeting, giving free vent to their personal sentiments on the 
subject. They also violated the rules of propriety by singing 
an old song, which began : 

" In yonder stall there lies a mule, 
We picked his eyes out one by one." 
3 



34 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Considerable amusement was caused by the singing ; but when 
the indignant officers sent a committee of complaint to Col. 
Thomas, he reprimanded them for their conduct, and directed 
them to make no further disturbance. 

Passing Chalmette, where Gen. Jackson won an important vic- 
tory over the British, in the war of 1812, the men were on the 
qui vive for their first sight of the Crescent City, whose smould- 
ering wharves still sent up a cloud of smoke in the distance. 
It was a moment of intense excitement when the Hovey reached 
New Orleans, late in the afternoon of the 12th instant ; nor did 
it abate, when, in the course of the evening, the men were 
ordered ashore, to find the strange streets crowded with people, 
going hither and thither in aimless confusion. 

The chivalry of the South was full of defiant hatred of the 
northern invaders, and the disappointed citizens expressed the 
intense bitterness of their feelings in every conceivable way. 
Above the general tumult, as the troops entered the streets, 
could be heard the loud strains of " Bonny Blue Flag," and 
other secession songs ; and for a counter-irritant, Col. Thomas 
ordered his band to strike up " Yankee Doodle." After the line 
had been formed in the street, orders were given to load the 
muskets in readiness for any emergency that might arise, and 
the regiment marched slowly, without opposition, to the Union 
Cotton Press, where it was quartered for the night. A strong 
guard was detailed for the neighborhood, under strict orders, 
and both officers and men slept on their arms. To further 
insure their safety. Col. Thomas issued very strict orders 
against leaving the quarters for any purpose, and, in spite 
of the various alluring temptations of a great city, there was 
little disposition to disobey the recognized authority, A mem- 
ber of one of the companies, however, tried to get outside by 
running the guard, and refused to stop when challenged. For 
this piece of folly he paid the penalty of his life, — the sentijiel 
was firm and fired upon him, inflicting a severe wound that 
proved fatal in a short time. It was a hard case, but the stern 
lesson put an end to all attempts to run the night guard ever 
after. 



AA^ A.VAVOC'S NIGHT. 35 

That first night at New Orleans will never be forgotten. 
The colonel was vigilant ; the men quiet and determined ; the 
sentinels were on the alert ; and every precaution was taken 
against being surprised by an armed force or a city mob. The 
enforcement of strict military discipline was no longer a sham 
practice, and the peace-loving sons of Vermont began to realize 
that they were now in an enemy's country, where no one could 
be trusted, — the objects of murderous hate in a strange city, and 
liable at any moment to have to fight for their lives. There 
was very little sound slumber in camp that night ; and, though 
no disturbance was attempted, the boys were never more glad 
for the sweet daylight than when the next morning dawned 
upon their anxious eyes. 

After the regiment had established itself in permanent 
quarters at the Mechanics' Institute building, and the members 
began to appear in public, and pass to and fro in the discharge 
of their assigned duties, the bitter hatred which their presence 
aroused in the hearts of the citizens began to show itself in 
numberless ways. People watched their movements with 
inexpressible disgust, and cast upon them frowns of intense 
malignity whenever they passed. There was murder in their 
defiant eyes, but evidently they did not dare to attemj^t any 
acts of personal violence against the boys in blue. The 
instructions given the troops by General Butler in regard to 
their bearing towards civilians were very rigid. They were 
to avoid as far as possible whatever would provoke their 
passions ; they must pass through the streets in silence, take 
no offence at threats and insults, and if fired upon simply cause 
the arrest of the guilty parties ; privates must be respectful, 
and no officer was permitted to appear on the street alone, 
or without side arms. These wise and humane restrictions 
were often very galling to the pride of the independent sons of 
Nev.' England, and it would not be a surprising thing if, under 
the pressure of repeated provocation, resentment sometimes 
got the better of prudence, and the loyal soldiers became 
exasperated. The situation also imposed on the boys a severe 
test of vigilance. Not knowing the full streno-th of the enem',-, 



36 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

or what expedients the maddened citizens might devise to 
wreak vengeance on the detested "Yanks," it was necessary to 
be constantly on the alert lest the smothered fires of revolt 
should burst forth in riot and violence. Consequently every- 
thing must be kept in readiness for instant action, and night 
.after night the men slept on their arms. 

Then, too, the air was full of wild rumors, which contained 
no one could tell how much truth. It was said that Gen. 
Lovell, who had evacuated the city on the approach of Far- 
ragut's fleet, would soon return with a strong reinforcement 
and capture the city. In the same connection it was asserted 
that all the able-bodied citizens were secretly drilling in the 
use of fire-arms, and would co-operate with Lovell's troops 
whenever he should appear ; in this case, of course, it would be 
easy to destroy the Union vessels lying in the harbor, and thus 
cut off all hope of retreat, while the Confederate soldiers over- 
whelmed Gen. Butler with superior numbers and made his men 
prisoners of war. Wrought upon by these and like rumors, it 
was easy for the Union soldier, as he passed from place to place 
executing the commands that devolved upon him, to imagine 
he saw treachery lurking in the eyes of every haughty South- 
erner he met, and that some subtle strategy was about to 
make him its victim. 

But the descendants of Ethan Allen, if they had not then 
seen service of any very serious character, had learned one 
lesson pretty thoroughly, which was that it is not a soldier's 
business to reason why, or to make reply ; but simply to obey 
orders, and, if his time came, to die. They went quietly about 
their appointed duty, and presently came to the conclusion that 
while they remained in the city, they were not very likely 
either to be obliged to use weapons or to perish by means of 
them. 

Police and provost duty was the first service outside the 
camp that fell to the lot of the Eighth Regiment, and in 
carrying out these necessary orders large details were made 
each morning to protect public and private property, to seize 
concealed arms, arrest suspicious and disorderly persons, and 



ESTABLISHIXG TELEGRAPHS. 37 

attend to a great variety of other duties. The military district 
was commanded by Maj. Dillingham. 

Gen. Butler was fertile in expedients for accomplishing the 
work which the government had sent him to do in New Orleans, 
and it very soon occurred to him to utilize the telegraph lines in 
and about the city for the benefit of his military operations. 
These were in a demoralized condition, like everything else 
that would be apt to afford aid and comfort to the detested 
Yankees. The Confederates, before evacuating the city, had 
destroyed or secreted the apparatus of the telegraph offices, 
cut wires, and done all that lay in their power to render the 
lines inoperative. 

But with his wonted energy, the general determined to have 
the system in working order, and caused inquiry to be made 
among the regiments for a soldier whose ability and experience 
would qualify him to take charge of the telegraph offices and 
lines. The result was that Quartermaster Sergeant J. Elliot 
Smith, of the Eighth Vermont, was ascertained to be a suitable 
person ; and by order of Gen. Butler, issued May 1 7th, he was 
made a lieutenant on his staff, and appointed military superin- 
tendent of all the telegraph lines running from New Orleans, 
and charged with the duty of putting all the lines in order, at 
the earliest possible moment. 

Lieut. Smith was a young man of marked ability and energy, 
and set about the work to which he had been assigned with 
great vigor. He was allowed a detail of about forty men to 
assist him, among whom were the following from his own regi- 
ment : George C, Bates, George W. Packard, Henry C. Sher- 
man, B. H. Upham, Wm. A. Tinker, Frederick Wild, William 
Kinsley, and Rufus Kinsley. But as this force included no 
trained operators, he was obliged to open a school of telegraphy 
and instruct them. 

The first lines put in order were those running from the 
city to Camp Parapet ; to Milnburg on Lake Pontchartrain ; to 
the passes at the mouth of the Mississippi, the quarantine sta- 
tion, and Forts Jackson and St. Philip ; to Berwick Bay and 
Thibodeaux ; to Rigolets ; and to Donaldsonville. 



38 THE EIGHTH VERMOXT. 

On the 23d instant, Gen. Weitzel appointed Smith superin- 
tendent of the fire alarm telegraph of the city, in addition 
to the office he already held. After the promotion of Quar- 
termaster Sergeant J. Elliot Smith, Wm. H. Gilmore was 
appointed to that position. 

During the first week that the Union troops occupied the 
city, the people showed their animus by closing the stores and 
other public places against the wearers of the blue ; but the 
desire for trade and gain presently unlocked their doors again. 
At first, when a Union soldier ordered refreshments at any of 
the restaurants, and offered a greenback in payment therefor, it 
was refused by the indignant proprietor, who declared he would 
take nothing but coin or Confederate money. This exhibition 
of southern venom was also short-lived ; for when the rebel 
troops failed to reappear, and it was found that the Yankees had 
come to stay, Confederate scrip was at a discount, and traders 
were glad to take any kind of Uncle Sam's money at par. One 
day Quartermaster Smith came upon a resident of the city who 
had been a native of Vermont and an intimate friend of his 
during their boyhood. But so strong was the sectional feeling- 
entertained by this "northern-born Southerner," that he re- 
fused to renew the old friendship under the circumstances ; but 
said : " I shall be glad to see you if you come in citizen's 
dress." 

But the prejudice of the male population did not express 
itself in so many spiteful ways as did that of the southern 
women. In them the spirit of hostility knew no bounds, and 
they improved every chance that offered to insult and abuse 
the northern soldiers. They wore small confederate flags 
fastened conspicuously to their dresses, or waved them in their 
hands in public places ; if a Union officer entered a street car 
containing southern women, they would rise and leave it ; and 
to avoid meeting soldiers on the sidewalk, they would step into 
the street, and show their intense hatred by every look and act. 
A southern lady, for example, dropped a delicate lace handker- 
chief, as she entered a street car. A Union officer picked it 
up and politely offered it to her, but she refused to take it, 



ORDER XO. 28. 39 

and withdrawing herself with a look of bitter scorn, said : 
" I would never receive it after being contaminated by your 
touch." The officer, without replying, raised the car window 
and dropped the offending scrap of embroidery into the street. 
All this hostility and evil treatment the Vermont boys bore 
with commendable patience, winning thereby the approval of 
their commander ; and it was not until one of these women so 
far forgot her ladyhood, not to say her sense of decency, that 
she spat in the faces of two Federal officers who were quietly 
walking along the street, that Gen. Butler issued the famous 
•order, of which the following is a transcript : 

Headquarters, Department of the Gulf. 
New Orleans, May 15, 1862. 
Ge7ie?-al Order A^o. 28. — As the officers and soldiers of the United States 
have been subject to repeated insults from the women (calling themselves 
iadie.s) of New Orleans, in return for the most scrupulous non-interference 
and courtesy on their part, it is ordered that hereafter, when any female 
shall by word, gesture, or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer 
■or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be 
treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation. 

By command of 

Major General Butler. 
George C. Strong, 

Ass't Adjutant General, and Chief of Staff. 

The effect of this much-criticised order was precisely what 
its author desired. The forbidden outrages ceased, there was 
an end of insults to Union soldiers, and it proved very useful 
as one means of restoring cjuiet to the city. 



IL 



ALGIERS. 



After the Eighth Vermont had spent about a month in New 
Orleans, Col. Thomas received orders to transfer his regi- 
ment across the river and relieve the Twenty-first Indiana, 
commanded by Col. McMillan at Algiers. Leaving Company 
D behind as a provost guard for the city, the colonel complied 
with his instructions, and on the 31st of May, 1862, estab- 
lished his headquarters at the old Algiers depot ; and, as there 
were no other troops stationed on that side of the river, he 
assumed command of the district, and acted in a semi-civil as 
well as military capacity. Under this authority Col. Thomas 
began to prosecute the work before him with characteristic 
vigor. Capt. Charles B. Child, of Company B, was appointed 
provost. marshal, and pickets were thrown out as far as La 
Fourche Crossing. 

In their retreat the Confederate army had destroyed the track 
of the New Orleans and Opelousas Railroad, and the colonel at 
once called for a force of volunteers to repair and put it in 
running order. There happened to be a number of men in the 
regiment who were practically acquainted with that kind of 
work, and by their exertions both the road and the rolling 
stock were put in condition, so that military trains began 
to ply regularly between Algiers and La Fourche. Civilians 
were not allowed to use the cars, unless they first obtained 
permission from the proper authority, and a strong guard was 
placed on board of all moving trains, to protect them against 
sudden attacks of outlaws and guerillas, who might be prowling 



THE XEGRO QUESTIOX. 41 

about the unsettled portions of the route. Lieut. Day, of Com- 
pany E, who was a practical railroad man, acted as engi- 
neer, and different members of the regiment took their turns 
as conductors. 

The forces commanded by Gen. Butler had not been long 
in the service, before the negro question was brought to their 
notice in a very direct and forcible manner. During the 
summer large numbers of blacks, who had run away from their 
masters, crowded into the camps and craved protection. They 
had very crude and indefinite notions of the great struggle in 
which the nation was involved, but firmly grasped the idea that 
" Massa " Lincoln was the God-sent Moses, who was to deliver 
their race from bondage, and that escape into the Union lines 
was the first step on the road to freedom. What to do with 
these ignorant masses that had thrown themselves upon the 
soldiers for protection, was a perplexing question. The senti- 
ment of the regiment was not unanimous. Part, recognizing 
human slavery as an unmitigated evil, felt that it would be 
wrong under any circumstances to remand the fugitives back 
into servitude ; others contended that a body of troops, in the 
discharge of their proper duties, could not lawfully interfere 
with private property, or undertake to decide on the justice of 
an alleged owner's claim. But very naturally the sympathies 
of the soldiers prompted them to render every reasonable aid 
to any colored brother whom they found groping his way to 
freedom ; and when the Eighth Vermont found a crowd of 
negroes upon their hands, as was frequently the case, the men 
could not find it in their hearts to comply with the orders of 
the war department, in force at that time, and return the help- 
less fugitives to their masters. 

To illustrate the prevailing state of feeling in the ranks : 
One day a negro, who had escaped from a plantation down 
the river, came into camp and sought protection. He com- 
plained of cruel treatment, and showed the recent marks of a 
chain upon his ankles, the sight of which stirred the indignation 
of the men. He seemed willing to work, and one morning. 



42 THE EIGHTH ]ERMONT. 

while he was helping to police the camp, his master appeared and 
,ordered him to return to the plantation. This the black man 
refused to do, and thereupon the master drew from his pocket a 
heavy leathern strap and began to beat him with it. The negro 
ran and the master pursued, keeping close to his heels and rain- 
ing blows upon him at every step. This spectacle was more 
than the Yankee boys could witness unmoved, so they too 
joined in the race, and every time the master struck his slave 
they would give him a kick. This treatment had the desired 
effect, for the master, finding himself likely to get badly worsted 
if he continued to press his claim, ceased flogging the man and 
left the camp without him. 

But that was not the end of the matter, for Lieut. Col. Brown, 
regarding this conduct of the men as a grave breach of army 
discipline, ordered the adjutant to form the regiment into line. 
He then addressed some severe language to the men, tel- 
ling them that they " came into the service to obey orders, 
and not to interfere with personal property, whether in slaves 
or anything else." This speech only intensified the feelings of 
the men, and strengthened their resolution not to return the 
fugitive slaves. The officers of the regiment were indignant 
at this assumption of personal authority ; and, to their credit as 
men, Col. Thomas and Adjutant Barstow, knowing the cause 
of the alarm, remained in their quarters. The subject was 
finally decided by the proper authorities at Washington, who 
issued an order forbidding soldiers to return escaped slaves, and 
when such fugitives appeared in camp the officers had no alter- 
native but to provide for them. 

But while these instructions made it plain enough what could 
not be done with the contrabands, it did not dispose of the 
question, how the multitudes, who were flocking into the Union 
camps in every quarter of the South, should be provided for. 
and the officers of the Eighth Vermont continued to have this 
vexed problem thrust upon their attention. 

After being at Algiers a few weeks, the number of able- 
bodied men in the regiment was much reduced by sickness, and 
it became necessary to procure the services of three or four 



THE NEGRO QUESTION. 43 

colored cooks. For this purpose the colonel ordered that a 
limited number of negro candidates for the situations be allowed 
to come into camp, in order that the places might be filled by 
selection. The matter soon became noised abroad, and on the 
following Sunday morning the approaches to the camp were 
found to be full of colored people, all desiring to offer their 
services as cooks. On they came, a miscellaneous assortment 
of all ages and sizes, arriving in squads and families, on foot, in 
carts, and on mules, until the quarters were literally crowdetl 
with negroes, none of whom had any intention of returning to 
the places from whence they started. It was a hard matter to 
choose the needed cooks out of such a promiscuous and sable 
mass, and a still more serious question with Col. Thomas what 
should be done with them all. One thing was certain, he had 
no means of making suitable provision for them ; consequently 
he resorted to a little strategy to get them to go aboard a 
steamer, and then shipped them to Carrolton, where they would 
be under the jurisdiction and care of Gen. Phelps. Having 
disposed of the intruders and cleared the cimp, the colonel 
■congratulated himself, as he composed his limbs to rest that 
night, on the success of his little scheme. But the next morn- 
ing another crowd of negroes began to pour into camp about 
sunrise, and continued to come until there seemed to be no end 
•of them, and again the colonel was at his wits' end. The 
crowds about the commissary quarters came to be a great 
nuisance, and the quartermaster was exceedingly troubled to 
know who was going to make "provision returns " for the camp 
so suddenly increased from one thousand to three thousand, and 
still increasing. On reporting the case to the chiefs of com- 
missary and quartermaster's departments, this order was 
returned: "Gen. Butler orders that you find them quarters 
.and give them rations ; and when the war is over we will go 
to Washington and see to settling the accounts." 

While pondering upon the case, and hesitating whether to 
report it to Gen. Butler or take the responsibility upon his own 
shoulders, he met Gen. Weitzel, and related the case to him, 
observing that he had changed his mind and was of the opinion 



44 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

that he ought to utiHze them in some way. " You are not the 
only one," replied the general, " who has come to that conclu- 
sion ;" and intimated that Gen. Butler had modified his opinions 
on that question. Encouraged by this cheering information, 
Col. Thomas called on his superior officer at once, and laid the 
matter before him. He found Gen. Butler disposed to take a 
very reasonable view of the case, and received authority to feed 
the black men, care for their sick, and employ them for any 
s'ervice in which they could be made available.. 

Nor was the contraband question allowed to rest with simply 
providing for the necessities of the colored men. Gen. Butler 
was not content until he had solved the problem of making 
them a direct factor in the work of suppressing the rebellion. 
With commendable forethought he cast about him for a plausi- 
ble pretext to convert them into soldiers, and found an order 
issued by the Confederate governor, and another from Gen. 
Lovell, for raising a colored regiment. He further strength- 
ened his case by announcing that Gen. Jackson authorized 
raising colored troops to serve in the war of 1812. These pre- 
cedents were sufficient, and he issued immediate orders to recruit 
two regiments from the fugitives who had come within the 
Union lines. These were officered with white men selected 
from the older regiments, and proved to be excellent troops. 

In the early part of the month of June, Lieut. Col. Brown 
was detailed by Gen. Butler to lay aside the sword for the pen, 
and take editorial charge of the Delta, one of the regular 
newspapers issued in the city of New Orleans. This, with the 
other local papers, was a radical secession sheet, and the gen- 
eral, finding it impossible to secure the publication of army 
orders in any other way, seized the office and plant of the 
Delta, and converted it into an official organ of loyal senti- 
ments and military commands. Lieut. F. D. Butterfield, of 
Company B ; Lieut. G. V . French, of Company K ; Charles F. 
Russell, of Company A ; H. C. Abbott, of Company C ; C. G. 
Tarbell and George H. Graves, of Company G ; O. N. Web- 
ster, of Company I ; H. K. Stoddard, of Company K ; were 
detailed for the signal service. 



HAPS AND MISHAPS. 45 

There is one phase of vokmteer campaign life wliich would 
make a very entertaining volume, if it could be fully and skilfully 
written ; if all the ludicrous happenings, vexatious accidents, and 
unusual experiences of even a single regiment could be vividly 
described and published in a book, it would make an invaluable 
souvenir for every survivor. It is these seemingly minor 
events that served to break the daily monotonous round of 
camp life, and the remembrance of them that gives spice and 
piquancy to the reunions of old comrades in arms. In such 
material the career of the Eighth Vermont was not lacking, 
and probably every member who reads these simple annals will 
be able to recall many that the writer has overlooked or been 
obliged to omit in so brief a history. But a few samples are 
here introduced by way of illustration, that may provoke a 
smile, as the veteran recalls to mind the strangely interesting- 
days when they occurred. 

The boys had not been long stationed at Algiers before they 
discovered that " rebs " were not the only enemies who might 
surprise them and attack the camp, for one quiet afternoon a 
number of wild Texas steers suddenly made a descent upon 
the tents, followed by herdsmen on their ponies, galloping close 
to their heels. The creatures had strayed away from a drove 
in the neighborhood, and for a short time they made a lively 
charge, bursting into the tents, overturning kettles, and thrust- 
ing their lawless horns into everything that came in their way. 
It was not safe to fire upon them, lest some missing shot should 
glance and wound the men ; and there was no alternative but 
to keep out of the way of the half-crazed steers, and allow 
them to turn things topsy-turvy, until the drivers could capture 
them with lassos. 

One day the cook of Company H was in a towering rage 
over an innocent looking mule belonging to the quartermaster's 
department, because the beast, in the exercise of the peculiar 
pedal functions for which his race is noted, had made a plunge 
right through the cooking tent and utterly ruined the soup pre- 
pared for that day's dinner. 

On another occasion some men were driving a herd of cattle 



46 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

past the camp, when one of the animals suddenly disappeared 
and could not be found, though the men in charge made a 
.most thorough search in all the vicinity. The fact was that 
some of the Yankee soldiers, hungry for a taste of fresh beef, 
had hurried the creature around the corner of the old depot 
building, where it was slain, divided among the companies, and 
secreted piecemeal, and all so quickly done that the drovers 
never knew what became of it. 

Guard-mounting in the morning at Algiers seemed to be a 
very interesting spectacle to both soldiers and citizens, and 
was watched with eager curiosity. It was Adjutant Barstow's 
duty to see that the business was properly executed according 
to the prescribed army regulation, and he was much annoyed if 
anything unusual happened to interrupt the decorum of this 
matutinal observance. No one then present, however, has 
probably forgotten the time when an insane man undertook to- 
assist at this exercise. After the adjutant had inspected the 
guard and was returning to report to the officer of the day, he 
found the lunatic standing in his place, and brandishing a 
drawn sword which he had obtained from Major Dillingham's 
quarters. The demented man imagined himself invested with 
official power, and the wild look in his eyes told but too plainly 
the danger of any attempt to oust him by force from the place 
he had usurped. But Adjutant Barstow was equal to the occa- 
sion. Addressing the insane man, with a smile of approval, 
he said : " You have acted your part well, sir ; now step aside 
and let me try it." This had the desired effect, for the insane 
man appeared pleased and walked away without attempting any 
mischief, and the next day was taken to an asylum. 

It was no uncommon thing during the first summer of cam- 
paign life for members of the regiment to have severe attacks 
of home-sickness. One of this class of sufferers, fearing per- 
haps that his malady might prove fatal if he remained in that 
climate, determined to find some means of getting released from 
the service. So he feigned to be a fool, and every morning 
would take a rod and line and fish hour after hour from the 
wharf. He never caught anything, and when asked by com- 



Fi'X-LOVIXG OFFICERS. 47 

rades what he was fishing for, he invariably answered, " Not 
much." So well did he play his part that the impression soon 
became general that he was under-witted, and he was accord- 
ingly discharged. But when the official papers were placed in 
his hand, he held them up, and with a look of greater intelli- 
gence than any one had ever before seen on his face, said : 
"These are what I was fishing for." 

It is not often that the boys in the ranks have a good chance to 
"get the laugh" on their superior officers, but that event came 
in the experience of the Eighth Regiment, when Adj. Bar- 
stow and Lieut. Spalding, of Company B, started one fine day 
for a saddle ride into the country. As they trotted along, 
Spalding, who was full of good humor, said to his companion, 
pointing to some trees by the roadside some distance ahead, 
" Suppose on reaching that covert we imagine ourselves ambus- 
caded, draw our revolvers, fire at the enemy, and make our 
escape." The fun of the thing suited the adjutant, and he 
readily assented. Accordingly when they reached the place, 
Spalding shouted, "The rebels!" and both men whipped out 
their weapons and began to shoot at the imagined foe. But 
their horses did not seem to appreciate the humor of the joke, 
or else were in no mood to enjoy it ; for at the first shot they 
wheeled so suddenly that their riders were unseated and thrown, 
while they galloped back to camp, leaving the disgruntled 
heroes to be taken prisoners, or to retreat, as best they could. 

Apropos, another incident comes to mind, illustrative of the 
versatile humor of Lieut. Spalding. He was officer of the guard 
one night, and, after tattoo had sounded, he invited Adju- 
tant Barstow and the writer to make the customary rounds with 
him. At that time there were several thousand contrabands in 
and around the camp, many of whom were quartered in large 
warehouses near the river, where they held nightly religious 
meetings, and kept up the noisy fervor of their grotesque 
prayers and weird singing until a late hour. It was past mid- 
night when the three officers entered one of thes^ negro assem- 
blies to quiet the noise, and found the pious excitement at its 
greatest height. Striking a dramatic attitude, Lieut. Spalding 



48 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

uttered in. a stentorian voice, " Were I ten thousand times a 
prince, I would not trespass on the ashes of the dead." The 
words of Shakespeare abruptly broke the flow of a negro mel- 
ody like a thunder clap, while startled worshippers on all sides 
cried out, " Dar be no dead heah, Massa ! " "If you don't 
stop this noise," pursued the lieutenant, "there will be a great 
many of you dead." It is needless to add that quiet reigned in 
that warehouse for the rest of the night. 

By order of Gen. Butler, Col. Thomas organized a court to 
try a number of petty cases, where citizens of Algiers had been 
arrested for various misdemeanors. Quartermaster Smith was 
appointed judge, and Maj. Dillingham was commissioned to act 
as judge-advocate. Considering the variety of cases, which 
included everything that might be expected to come before a 
civil as well as a military tribunal, from the two women quarrel- 
ling about the ownership of a pig, to the citizen who was 
arrested while attempting to convey stores to the enemy, and 
who threatened the life of a railroad engineer if he did not 
remove a small Union flag from his engine, business was dis- 
patched with very little delay, and most of the convicted offen- 
ders abided the sentence of the court. But one man, who had 
been sentenced to be committed to Ship Island for six months, 
appealed from the decision to higher authority. But his expe- 
rience was much like that of Shylock contending for justice. 
Gen. Butler, after patiently hearing the case, doubled the 

sentence. 

"At midnight, in his guarded tent, 

The Turk lay dreaming of the hour, 
When Greece, her knee in suppliance bent, 
Should tremble at his power." 

His rude awakening at the sentry- cry, 

" To arms ! tliey come ! The Greek ! the Greek I " 

though more tragic, was not less startling than that experienced 
by the Eighth Ivegiment at the same still hour, in the guarded 
camp at Algiers. For a soldier, whose night visions could not 
have been as bright as the last dream of the Moslem slain by 



FALSE ALARMS. 49 

Marco Bozzaris, yelled out in his sleep, " The rebels are 
coming ! " Instantly every man sprang to his feet, to hear the 
long roll for the first time at midnight, and, in the sudden con- 
fusion, scarcely knowing what he did. Officers came rushing 
forth bare-headed, with sword-belts buckled round their legs, 
boots on the wrong foot, and uniforms all awry ; men were 
crowding and fighting each other for the possession of equip- 
ments, or running to and fro frightened, or half-awake ; while 
above the din and bustle was heard the call of the orderly 
sergeants : " Fall in ! fall in, boys ! " To add to the panic, the 
contrabands, scared half out of their senses, raised their vocif- 
erous jargon to swell the general tumult. It seemed a long 
time before the orders of the officers were obeyed, and the regi- 
ment was formed into line to resist the expected attack; and 
Col. Thomas kept them standing there some half an hour, while 
he investigated the source of alarm, when he dismissed the 
command, telling them to " go back to sleep like good little boys." 
But false alarms were sometimes even more annoying than in 
the case just described. An officer, who had been prospecting 
outside the lines one day, returned and reported that, in taking 
an outlook from the top of a tree, he discovered a force of one 
hundred or more rebels in camp within a short distance. 
Early the next morning Col. Thomas took the regiment, except 
a guard left for the camp, and started out to capture the alleged 
rebels. Following the guidance of the officer who claimed to 
have discovered them, the men tramped all day long through 
swamps and woods, sometimes in ditches and water up to their 
knees, — actually swimming canals, and felling trees for tem- 
porary bridges. Thus they forced their way with the greatest 
difficulty to an open road, where they had agreed to meet a 
portion of the command ; but on arriving, so great was their 
exhaustion that no amount of urging would induce them to go 
another step. Col. Thomas therefore dispatched a messenger 
to camp, with orders to the quartermaster to procure a boat and 
come to their relief. In this way the command was returned 
to camp about midnight, disgusted with the undertaking, and 
vexed at the failure. 



50 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

June 6th, First Lieut. E. B. Wright, Company C, resigned, 
and the vacancy was filled by the promotion of Sergeant Maj. 
Geo. N. Carpenter. 



RACELAND. 

The first baptism of blood, that trying ordeal to which every 
thoughtful volunteer looked forward with dread, came to part 
of the Eighth Vermont on the 22d of June. Two days 
before. Company H, which was stationed on the extreme out- 
post of the railway, had fallen back from La Fourche Crossing 
to Bayou des Allemands, when Capt. Button, hearing that some 
parties were engaged in tearing up the track, sent a detachment 
of thirty men, under Lieutenants Franklin and Holton, up the 
road to Raceland. They were conveyed in a passenger car, 
which was slowly pushed ahead of a locomotive, while Sergeant 
Smith with six men preceded the car on foot, as an advance 
guard. While thus moving cautiously forward, they were sud- 
denly surprised by the report of musketry from the woods 
beside the track, and a shower of minies came rattling down 
upon them. Officers Franklin and Holton were severely 
wounded at the first fire, and the advance guard sprang on 
board the train, while the engineer quickly reversed his en- 
gine and ran back with all possible speed. The secreted 
enemy, then emerging from their coverts, continued to fire 
upon the receding train until out of gun-shot range, and it was 
returned from the windows of the car with fatal effect. Ser- 
o-eant Wm. H. Smith was wounded in the arm, and after he 
boarded the car a second ball hurt his eye ; two of his squad 
also were killed outright and left behind. The result of 
the engagement was six Confederates killed and many others 
wounded, while the Union loss was as follows : Killed, Corporal 
Henry McClure, Corporal John W. Saunders, Private L. M. 
Richardson, Private M. W. Wellman, and Fireman Stoats, of the 
train ; wounded, Lieut. A. B. P'ranklin, Lieut. Wm. H. H. 
Holton, First Sergt. S. E. Howard, Sergt. W. H. Smith, Sergt. 



" VES, I \M KILLEDr 5 i 

George M. Allard, and Privates Clark B. Akeley, Ebenezer 
Oaks, Jr., Andrew J. Wood, Calvin L. Cook. 

As soon as the train returned to Des Allemands, Capt. But- 
ton ordered Sergt. Smith to take the wounded to the hospital at 
Algiers, and report the affair to Col. Thomas, and their arrival 
at camp caused a great excitement. The colonel immediately 
dispatched Companies A, C, and I, to relieve Company H at 
Des Allemands ; but the enemy did not advance upon that out- 
post, nor did they again appear at that place later on. 

Among the incidents of this encounter with the enemy is 
told the following : On the retreat of the train Orderly Ser- 
geant Howard, who was examining the wounded men, found 
Sergt. Allard apparently very badly hurt, and in reply to his 
inquiries the sufferer said : " Yes, I 'm killed." Howard tried 
to reassure the poor man, but it was of no use, for Allard 
insisted that he was shot straight through the breast, and that 
the bullet was lodged close to his spine just under the skin. 
An examination seemed to confirm this view of the case, for 
there was the wound in front, and the lead was plainly to be felt 
beside the spinal column, and his comrades felt convinced that 
his case was very critical. When the car reached Des Alle- 
mands, however, and the wounded sergeant had been carefully 
helped out and deposited on the floor. Corporal Hilliard, who 
was something of a nurse, while trying to minister to his com- 
fort, made the discovery that the ball, instead of penetrating 
the bone, had glanced and plowed its way just under the skin 
to its lodgment on the other side, and that Allard's chest was 
as sound as ever. With a pocket-knife he easily liberated the 
missile, and the doomed soldier was instantly relieved, and took 
a new lease of life. 

On the twenty-fourth of June, Surgeon George F. Gale 
resigned, and was succeeded by Dr. H. H. Gillett, and Sam- 
uel H. Currier was appointed assistant surgeon. Dr. Gale 
was well known in the state of Vermont as one of the fore- 
most men in his profession, was an accomplished scholar, and a 
gentleman of character and dignity. Governor Holbrook had 
appointed him surgeon of the regiment on account of his emi- 



53 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

nent abilities, but the short time which he remained with 
them afforded very Httle opportunity for the display of pro- 
fessional skill. After his resignation was accepted, and before 
his return for home, the line officers signed resolutions which 
were handsomely engrossed, assuring him of their confidence, 
and regret at his departure. 

A few weeks later the following promotions were made: 
July 22 — Sergeant Dennis Buckley, Company D, to second 
lieutenant, vice D. G. Child, deceased. July 23 — Orderly Ser- 
geant L. M. Hutchinson, Company A, to second lieutenant, 
vice G. S. Rand, deceased. July 24 — Orderly Sergeant A. J. 
Sargent, Company K, to second lieutenant Company E, vice 
T. P. Kellogg, deceased. 

On the last day of August, a bloodless expedition was 
undertaken for the capture of cattle in St. Charles parish, 
about thirty miles above Algiers. Word was brought from 
Gen. Butler that a small force of the enemy was collecting 
cattle in that region to send across the Mississippi for the 
sustenance of the Confederate army, and there appeared to be 
a very good reason why those prospective beef supplies should 
be secured for the benefit of the Union camp. Consequently 
Col. Thomas, with Companies A and C, a section of artillery, 
and a company of cavalry, started late in the afternoon to 
execute Gen. Butler's commands and possess himself of the 
coveted supplies. After an all-night march they came upon 
the enemy's rear at an early hour in the morning, when the 
cavalry began at once' a sharp skirmish, and the artillery shelled 
a piece of woods and a sugar-cane field to drive out the enemy. 
About two thousand cattle, sheep, and mules fell into their 
hands, together with about twenty prisoners ; and without 
making any halt, Col, Thomas ordered his command to face 
about and return, driving their booty before them. On the 
way back they were joined by large numbers of negroes, who 
had escaped from the plantations, bringing their mules along 
with them, and soon the moving procession stretched from 
three to four miles. The march was made as rapidly as possi- 
ble through the night, for the plundered enemy followed close 











^l^/R r>u\uO^ 



'S CH>^^ 




uilGt 




'^ S. CLAf^^' 




IV. LVf^°^ 



A FATAL SC-R PRISE. 53 

behind, and it became necessary to stop occasionally and 
exchange a few shots with them, while the contrabands hurried 
on the drove of live stock. But prisoners, steers, sheep, mules, 
and darkies, were safe within the Union lines at ten o'clock 
next morning ; and Col. Thomas was highly complimented on 
the success of his dashing exploit. 



BOUTEE STATION. 

The Confederates under Colonel McWalters, whoni the bril- 
liant night sally of Colonel Thomas had deprived of their 
cattle, determined to revenge their loss. To that end they 
marched toward Boutee station, where a small detachment of 
the Eighth Regiment was on guard, and easily overpowered 
and captured them. At that time daily trains were run be- 
tween Algiers and Des Allemands, and those going up and 
down the track passed each other at Boutee station. This fact 
being known to McWalters's force, which was fifteen hundred 
strong, they turned the switches the wrong way on the morning 
of September 4th, and concealed themselves on either side of 
the track to await the arrival of the trains. 

To lessen the danger while running between Des Allemands 
and Boutee station, where the track was very much exposed, a 
strong guard accompanied each train over that part of the line, 
well armed to resist any sudden attack that might be made 
upon it. Captain Clark, of Company K, in charge of sixty 
men and a twelve-pound gun, was detailed to escort the Des 
Allemands train on the fatal morning of the 4th, the soldiers 
riding on platform cars. All unconscious of the fate in store 
for them, they approached Boutee station as usual, keeping a 
sharp lookout but seeing no signs of danger. Suddenly the 
concealed enemy sprang to their feet, and with a fiendish yell 
poured a murderous fire upon the unprotected men, who were 
forced to run the gauntlet of leaden rain. The artillery men 
were instantly cut down, and the twelve-pounder could not be 
used ; but Captain Clark ordered his men to fire upon the Con- 



54 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

federates as they issued from the woods in all directions, while 
the engineer, who fortunately was unhurt, kept the train in 
motion, and it ran upon a siding. The firing was rapid on both 
sides, and the Union soldiers, owing to their exposed position, 
were falling rapidly, as the cars moved onward where they 
might soon pass out of range, but for the misplaced switch, 
which the enemy had so turned as to run the train off at the 
end of the side track. 

At this critical moment, however, when it seemed as though 
every chance of escape was cut off and the entire force must 
perish ingloriously. Private Louis J. Ingalls, of Company K, 
made a quick heroic dash that saved the day. Taking in the 
situation at a glance he leaped to the ground, ran forward 
through a shower of balls, turned the switch, let the train 
pass on, and boarded his car again. It was a wonder that he was 
not shot down, for his clothing was riddled with bullets, but the 
only wound he received was a ball through the neck. The 
immediate danger was thus averted ; but out of that terrible 
fire but twenty-five of Captain Clark's command escaped un- 
scathed ; thirteen were killed outright, two others were fatally 
shot and died next day, while twenty were more or less 
severely wounded, some of whom fell off the train and were 
captured by the enemy. The names of the slain were, Sergeant 
James E. Thayer, and Privates Simon Y.. Bailey, John S. Col- 
grove, Wm. R. Gray, Fred Greenwood, Henry McGookin, 
Levi Brust, of Company E ; Privates Charles R. Car- 
roll, George J. Carson, Joseph Leary, Charles F. Stone, 
Auguste Laymont, of Company K ; Private Sylvanus F. 
Ailes, of Company A. The two who died of their wounds 
on the following day were George Clapper, of Company C, and 
George Farrver, and John F, Departhy, of Company G. The 
wounded were Lewis J. Ingalls, Gilbert Lead, George W. Hill, 
Ezra S. Pierce, Chauncey M. Snow, Charles H. Presby, Arthur 
M. Raymond, Charles H. Farnam, Henry Raseblade, and 
Ethan Shores, all of Company K. Benjamin Morse, Company 
E, was wounded and taken prisoner ; George Poor, Company 
E, died of his wounds. 



A SURREXDER. 55 

Scarcely were the survivors of this tragic slaughter beyond 
reach of the Confederate bullets, when they confronted the up 
train from Algiers, and luckily both were brought to rest in 
time to prevent a collision. By this means the latter escaped 
the fate intended for it, and both trains made the best pos- 
sible speed to Algiers. 

DES ALLEMANDS. 

Bent on the work of destruction, the enemy then set fire to 
the station buildings and houses in the vicinity, and then 
pushed rapidly up the track towards Des Allemands. This 
place was held by a portion of Companies E, G, and K, under 
command of Capt. Hall, of Company E. 

On coming in sight of the pickets stationed about half a 
mile from Des Allemands, the Confederate commander sent the 
sergeant in command under a flag of truce to inform Capt. Hall 
of the operations at Boutee station, and that his force was suffi- 
cient to surround the Union men on all sides. Consequently he 
demanded an immediate surrender in order to prevent needless 
bloodshed. As a reply to this summons, Capt. Hall dispatched 
Lieut. Greene with a flag of truce to meet Col. McWalters, 
while he held a hasty consultation with his officers, and decided 
what course to pursue. But while the question of surrender 
was under discussion, they saw the Confederates marching 
towards them in close column with Lieut. Greene in front of 
them. There was no time to lose, and Capt. Hall, aware that 
his force was quite inadequate to successful resistance, and that 
his supply of ammunition was low, surrendered himself and his 
command, prisoners of war. Besides Capt. Hall, the force con- 
sisted of Lieut. Sargent, of Company E ; Lieutenants Greene 
and Mead, of Company G ; and one hundred and thirty-seven 
privates. 

Lieut, Morse, of Company I, who had command of the artil- 
lery at Des Allemands, made his escape when the force sur- 
rendered, and, taking a boat, rowed some three miles up the 
bayou, where he found a vacant house in which he rested a 
while, and then hiding in a neighboring cane-field, slept there 



56 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

through the night. There he also spent the following day, 
waiting for the appearance of troops from Algiers, and was 
once obliged to secrete himself in the sugar-cane to avoid being 
discovered by some rebel scouts who were prowling about in 
the vicinity. The next day, while strolling cautiously along, 
he fell in with a negro who told him that the rebels were 
searching for him ; and just then a party of them came in sight 
and fired several shots after him. But Morse fled to the cover 
of the woods and escaped ; then after wandering several days 
through the swamps, he finally reached the Mississippi, and 
was taken on board a boat and landed at New Orleans. From 
that city he crossed the river and reported to Col. Thomas at 
Algiers. On reaching camp he was hatless and shoeless, and 
suffering severely with malaria, which kept him confined in the 
hospital for several weeks with a slow fever. 

As soon as the trains brought the news of the Boutee station 
attack to Algiers, Col. Thomas reported the case to Gen. Butler, 
who immediately ordered Col. McMillan and the Twenty-first 
Indiana to go up the river by boat and form a junction with Col. 
Thomas at Boutee station. In prosecution of the same plan. 
Col. Thomas started with his regiment by rail. The night was 
very dark, and the train had gone scarcely a dozen miles when 
the engine struck an ox which had strayed on to the track, and 
the cars were derailed and most of them wrecked. Alonzo Sil- 
ver, of Company A, was killed, and William Rollins and Calvin 
W. H. Smith, of Company A, were more or less hurt. His 
progress thus thwarted, Col. Thomas saw that it would be 
impossible to reach his destination in time to meet McMillan, 
and returned to Algiers, intending to go forward by water, and 
march across the country. But Gen. Butler countermanded the 
order, and the next day the colonel withdrew his pickets to with- 
in twelve miles of his camp. 

During the attack at Boutee station Corporal George W. Hill, 
of Company K, received five shots in his legs and hips, but 
recovered, and was afterwards made first lieutenant, and con- 
tinued in the service until the close of the war. Edward H. 
Raserlade, another unfortunate member of the same company, 



SWEET GIRL GRADUATES. 57 

received six gun-shot wounds at the first fire of the enem}-, and 
fell off the car. He jumped up, however, and tried to escape, 
when a Confederate officer dealt him a sabre blow on the head 
and a cut on the shoulder, which felled him again to the ground, 
where he was left behind for dead, or nearly so. There he lay 
all night, weak and faint from hunger and loss of blood, and 
was rescued by the Twenty-first Indiana, on its arrival next day, 
and sent to Algiers. 

Another bloodless campaign, but bearing a more agreeable 
termination, was undertaken about the middle of September. 
Rumor was brought to the camp that a small Confederate force 
was massed at Thibodeaux, and three companies under Maj. 
Dillingham were detailed to investigate the report. Crossing 
Bayou des Allemands in boats, they followed the railroad track 
to La Fourche Crossing, where a strong guard was left, and the 
main force pushed on to Thibodeaux, about three miles distant. 
Few people were to be seen in the streets on their arrival, stores 
were closed and blinds shut on dwelling-houses, and Confed- 
erate soldiers, if there had been any, as well as civilians, had 
apparently deserted the place. Maj, Dillingham found an iron 
foundry containing models and patterns for manufacturing arms, 
which he destroyed. Then, marching his command to the out- 
skirts of the town, he came upon a young ladies' seminary, from 
the windows of which peered the eager faces of the school- 
girls, intent on getting a good look at the terrible Yankees. 
Quartermaster Smith accompanied the party, and both the 
major "and himself being noted for gallantry toward the fair 
sex, a halt was ordered, while the band was directed to discourse 
sweet music for the delectation of the curious maidens of Dixie 
Land. Having thus paid a delicate compliment to their pretty 
auditors, the men gave three cheers for the " sweet girl grad- 
uates," three more for the dear old flag, and marched away to 
the strains of "Yankee Doodle." On the return an old cannon, 
which the enemy had hidden away, was discovered, and the boys 
brought it home as a trophy. 

After the disasters at Raceland, Des Allemands, and Boutee 



58 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Station, a very sharp lookout was kept at all the outposts, and a 
mounted picket was organized. In the assignment of forces 
Company H was stationed for a time at a place called Company 
Canal, located on the Mississippi river, about ten miles above 
New Orleans. Into their camp one morning a man came riding 
in hot haste from the south, who reported that the negroes on 
a plantation some two or three miles distant had risen against 
their white overseer, and were trying to murder him. To save 
himself the overseer had locked himself into a small building 
on the premises, but his pursuers were firing at him through 
the shutters and were likely to kill him unless he received help. 
The messenger was in great terror, and begged for soldiers to 
go to the rescue of his friend before it was too late. In response 
to his request, Capt. Button detailed a party of six or eight 
men, who mounted horses loanedt hem by the outpost pickets, 
and hastened with all speed toward the scene of the trouble- 
Keeping their informant close at hand, they warned him that 
any treachery on his part would be fatal to him, and had nearly 
reached the plantation, when they met a procession of negroes 
following a mule cart driven by an old negro, and lying in the 
cart was the dead body of the overseer. It was a sad spectacle, 
for the prostrate form was that of a young and handsome man, 
whose clean white shirt front was drenched with the deep crim- 
son that had hardly ceased to flow from his veins. 

The negroes evidently expected the Yankees to approve their 
fiendish action, supposing that the Union army had been sent 
there to kill their old masters, and would rejoice at any means 
employed to get rid of them. They declared that the* over- 
seer had been a hard master, and very "outrageous," what 
ever that might signify, on which account they were confident 
that their murderous act was entirely justifiable. They further 
explained that the shots fired through the shutters of the 
house into which he had fled for refuge took effect, and when he 
attempted to rush out and escape, the old negro who was 
driving the cart fired a charge of buckshot into his breast and 
killed him. But to their apparent surprise, Capt. Dutton repri- 
manded the murderers severely, and had the old man and 



A TRUE WOMAN. 59 

several of his accomplices placed under arrest and sent to Gen. 
Butler at New Orleans. 

The letter which is here inserted with a brief preface will 
carry its own lesson straight to the heart of every mother who 
reads it, and plead eloquently for the exercise of a charity 
broad enough to believe that there were honest secessionists, 
who loved their enemies and tried to do them good. 

When the regiment went up the Opelousas Railroad in 
October, 1862, Orderly Sergt. S. E. Howard, being ill, was 
left behind ih charge of a picket-post near the residence of 
Col. Sparks, at Company Canal, He was suffering severely 
with chills and fever, contracted in that malarious climate, and 
on learning his condition, Mrs. Sparks warned him against 
exposure, and kindly urged him to sleep at her house and 
receive medical attendance. But Howard respectfully declined 
to accept the proffered courtesy, until he was seized with a 
violent congestive chill which left him almost dead, and in this 
condition his comrades carried him to her house. 

Mrs. Sparks realized the desperate nature of the case, and 
the need of prompt and vigorous treatment. But she had no 
medicines, and could procure none short of New Orleans, which 
was ten miles away. Her husband was infirm, and all her 
negroes had left her except a few old decrei)it men. To add to 
the perplexity, it was four o'clock in the afternoon, and the rain 
was falling in torrents. 

Would a stranger be likely to face such obstacles in order to 
save the life of an enemy, who had come there for the sole pur- 
pose of destroying a government for which she had sacrificed so 
much } She did ; and, with the help of a friend who lived half- 
way between her house and the city, the medicine was obtained. 
Mrs. Sparks dispatched one of her old servants with a message 
to this friend, who was none other than the wife of the late col- 
lector of the port of New Orleans, Mr. Hatch. He absconded 
at the breaking out of the war, taking with him a large amount 
of United States funds, and Mrs. Hatch was a most violent 
secessionist, and a cordial hater of Yankees. But when the 



6o THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

message from her friend reached her, the kind woman's heart 
within her overcame all other considerations, and Mrs. Hatch 
set out for the city in the darkness and storm, got the needed 
prescription, and herself carried it to the bedside of the sinking 
Union sergeant. It cost her a night journey of fifteen miles, 
in the course of which she had to cross and recross the Mis- 
sissippi river, and expose herself to storm and danger. 

For six weeks Sergt. Howard remained in that house, a very 
sick man, and Mrs. Sparks and Mrs. Hatch were both unre- 
mitting in their care, and no mother could have nursed him 
more tenderly. After his recovery it affordecl him great 
pleasure to be able to show them some acts of kindness, and he 
desires in these pages to record a tribute of gratitude to his 
noble, self-sacrificing benefactors. 

Sergt. Howard was not the only member of the Eighth Ver- 
mont to whom Mrs. Sparks ministered during a period of 
illness. Alfred Read, of Company E, was sick, and died at her 
house during the autumn of 1862 ; and the following letter which 
she addressed to the mother of the young man, in Vermont, 
soon after his death, needs no comment. 



Company Canal, La., 1862. 

Dear Mrs. Read: Although you and I are strangers — may perhaps 
never meet in this world — my thoughts and heart have been with you the 
last few days. This perhaps may seem strange, as our countries are at 
enmit}', and at war with each other. 

I am a mother, and know no enemy in sickness or death. I sympathize 
with you deeply in the loss of your son Alfred. It was my privilege to 
nurse your dear child in his last illness; it was indeed a pleasure to me to 
administer to his comfort in his last severe suffering. 

He was a patient, good boy; I stood by his bedside day and night, 
conversed much with him; he frequently spoke of his dear mother and 
wished he was with you. He was aware of his situation, felt that he could 
not live, said he knew there was a better world, where he would be happy. 
He would be glad to see his friends, "but" said he, "I will meet them after 
death." 

This, my dear Mrs. Read, should be a great comfort to you, — that your 
son should have a hope beyond the grave. What a consoling thought to par- 
ents, that we are only separated a short time from our children; we are to 



A REBEL MOTHER. 6 1 

live in this world but a few short years at most ; here we have no abiding- 
place, but seek one which is to come. Soon time with us will be no more, 
and eternity will dawn upon us. Should we not then consecrate all our 
energies and powers to preparation for that everlasting life beyond the 
grave, where we will be free from all the cares of this world, our children 
and friends restored unto us ? Be not cast down at the ways of God; He has 
taken your dear Alfred for a wise purpose. Can you not exclaim, in the 
language of the Bible : " The Lord gave, and the Lord taketh away ; blessed 
be the name of the Lord " ? " He is able to heal your wounded heart ; look 
unto Him in every trouble and sorrow." " Like as a father pitieth his chil- 
dren," so pitieth He us, weak, frail, and inconsistent as we are. He is a 
present help in every time of trouble or need. 

The last few hours of your son's life he was unconscious; a kiss was 
imprinted upon his cold cheek for his mother; his manly form is now no 
more to be seen, his eyes forever closed to the perplexities of this sinful 
world, his seat left vacant at your table, his voice no more to be heard amid 
the loved ones at home. May you and your family be enabled to bear this 
sad bereavement with Christian fortitude and resignation, feeling it to be 
the will of God. 

This most unnatural war is convincing us more and more every day of 
the truth of the Bible, — the father is in arms against the son, and the son 
against the father, — each believing themselves pursuing the path of duty. 

How many homes are now made sad by the loss of father, husband, son, 
brother, or some near and dear friend. Would to God the trouble could be 
settled ! I have two dear sons in the Confederate army ; have not heard 
from them the last four months, and know not that they are alive. It has 
been my earnest prayer that they may be spared a soldier's death. I feel 
an all-abiding faith in the promises of Christ, and am willing to leave all 
things in his hands; he has promised to work all things together for good 
to "those that put their trust in him."' Were it not for this hope I could 
not bear the troubles of this world. 

I have everything to be thankful to God for, and hope that you and I, 
with all those who are near and dear to us, may so live on earth that we may 
be prepared for the blessed mansions above. 

May you accept this letter in the same spirit it is written, by a sympa- 
thizing stranger and mother. 

Yours respectfully, 

A Rebel Mother. 

The fate of Union prisoners captured by tlie Confederates 
was usually hard, and often pitiful in the extreme ; nor did 
members of the Eighth Vermont who fell into their hands 
form any exception to the rule. On the 9th of September, 



62 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

ex-General Wickliffe came into the Federal lines under cover 
of a flag of truce, bearing dispatches from Gen. "Dick " Taylor, 
who threatened to execute a number of the prisoners taken at 
Des Allemands on the 4th of September ; but Gen. Butler's 
forcible and threatening reply caused the inimical commander 
to change his mind and spare the victims. 

The men whom Capt. Hall surrendered at Des Allemands 
were placed in charge of a guard of Texas rangers, and 
marched a distance of one hundred miles to Camp Pratt, near 
New Iberia. There they remained about six weeks, when they 
were sent to Vicksburg, Miss., and kept in a jail-yard which 
was the Andersonville of the Southwest. There they remained 
several weeks in a wretched condition ; for the rebels had 
robbed them of all their clothing and blankets, except a few 
rags that were not worth stealing, and they were compelled to 
subsist on the meanest food and sleep on the bare ground with- 
out any covering to protect them. It was late autumn, the 
most uncomfortable season of the year in that latitude, and 
they were exposed to storm and cold with no fires to keep 
them warm. Capt. J. W. Smith, of Company K, thus writes of 
their prison life : 

" Our rations consisted of corn ground with the cobs, and not sifted, 
which was prepared by mixing in a barrel, like food for swine, without salt, 
and baked on the top of a stove, the outside being burned black while the 
middle was raw. This was dealt out sparingly. 

" One fifth of our number died soon after getting back to our lines, and not 
one half ever returned to their companies for duty; and to cap the climax, 
after we had our paroles, and were waiting for the boat to take us to our 
lines, we were compelled to cast lots, and two of our number were selected 
to remain and be shot, in retaliation for some guerillas executed by Gen. 
McNeil, in Missouri. The lots fell upon Sergt. Wills and Private Spear. 
Two days later the whole party, with the exception of the two selected to 
be shot, were put on the exchange boat and taken to New Orleans. Reach- 
ing there on November 11, they were at once sent to Ship Island to remain 
until they were exchanged. 

"It was an exciting moment when the hue was formed at Vicksburg, and 
the men all knew that two of the party were to be selected by lot to be 
shot ; and it was a touching parting when their .comrades took Sergt. 
Charles R. Wills, of Randolph, and Edward Spear, of Braintree, by the 
hand, and bade them good-by.'' 



AA^ ATROCIOUS CRIME. 63 

Sergeant Wills writes that " they were confined in prison 
cells for several months, when finally they were reprieved by 
Jeff. Davis." So deeply were they affected on hearing this 
good news, that, in the enthusiasm of the moment. Wills gave 
three cheers for the President of the Confederate States of 
America. He was the only man of the Eighth Vermont who 
ever cheered for that dignitary. They were both exchanged, 
and Sergeant Wills returned to the regiment, but Spear died 
before reaching the Union lines. 

On the first day of October Dr. Cyrus H. Allen was ap- 
pointed assistant surgeon of the regiment. 



SHOOTING THE GERMANS. 

The saddest event connected with the capture of Union 
troops at Bayou des Allemands was the shooting of seven of the 
Germans who had enlisted into the Eighth Vermont from New 
Orleans. It will be recollected that those Teutonic members 
of the regiment were residents of Louisiana at the time they 
volunteered to enter the army, and the only charge ever pre- 
ferred against them was that they joined the Federal troops 
instead of the Confederate. These seven happened to be 
among the prisoners surrendered by Capt. Hall, and were 
recognized by some members of the Confederate guard who 
had formerly known them. As soon as this information 
reached the Confederate headquarters, it was ascertained or 
assumed that their names had been enrolled for conscription at 
New Orleans, and as a consequence the Confederacy had a 
claim on them for military service. On this flimsy pretext the 
poor Germans were arrested as deserters, and denied even the 
common civilities that humane victors are wont to extend to 
prisoners taken in war. 

In vain the doomed men protested their utter innocence of the 
crime laid to their charge, and pleaded that the act of enlist- 
ment was an exercise of their rightful privilege as citizens of 
the United States. Their cruel captors would not listen or 



64 THE EIGHTH VERMONT 

show them any mercy. Without allowing the Germans ta 
communicate with their friends or make any preparation for 
their own defence, a court martial was ordered 'to try the cases, 
which went through a farce of hearing testimony, and returned 
a quick verdict of guilty. So they were condemned to be pub- 
licly shot as deserters. The sentence was simply an atrocious, 
cold-blooded murder ; but no one who knew or cared for them 
dared to interfere with its execution, or lift a voice of remon- 
strance against this high-handed, brutal wrong, which the 
"barbarism of slavery" had so well fitted the Southerners to 
exercise. 

It was a pitiable spectacle when these seven adopted sons of 
America were marched forth to meet a felon's death. Brightly 
the October sun smiled upon a land of unsurpassed natural 
beauty, where every leaf and flower reflected the grateful 
warmth ; but it did not touch the stony hearts of Confederate 
military despots, nor were they moved by the sight of those 
heart-broken men going to their own execution as martyrs ta 
loyalty and a noble cause. But the eye of the Eternal saw that 
bloody deed, and the immutable law which shall eventually- 
right every wrong took notice. 

Under some trees beside the railroad track a long trench 
had been dug, and on the brink the seven Germans were 
ranged, that their dead bodies might drop into it when they 
fell. Seventy enlisted Confederates from the state of Louis- 
iana were detailed to do the death work. Several of them, 
unwilling to take part in such revolting and doubtful business, 
had hired substitutes. But when the command was given a 
volley of seventy muskets was fired, and the victims expired 
without a struggle. There was one blank cartridge fired, and 
let us try to think, for humanity's sake, that each one of those 
forced executioners clung to the hope that the harmless shot 
was his. Into the open grave the warm bodies were hastily 
thrust, and just enough earth was thrown upon them to hide 
them from the face of the accusing sun. Their names were : 
Bernard Hurst, Deidrich Bahne, John Leichleiver, Michael 
Leichleiver, Michael Masman, Frank Paul, Gustave C. Becher. 



A BROKEN-HEARTED FATHER. 65 

Col. Homer B. Sprague, of the Thirteenth Connecticut, in his 
account of this tragic affair, writes thus : 

"The desolate spot has a mournful interest and we often visited it. Over- 
grown with weeds, it is yet easily recognizable beside some trees, nearly 
abreast with the earthworks on the right side as you go from Algiers. The 
traveller who has either sentiment or patriotism will hardly restrain his 
tears, when he stands there and listens to the strain of the father's anguish, 
as he shovelled the dirt away, to find the mouldering remains of his hand- 
some and noble boy. Will not the great Republic some day rear a monu- 
ment to mark the last resting-place of the seven martyrs, who died for 
her at Bayou des Allemands, in the summer of 1862?" 

The "handsome and noble boy" to whom Col. Sprague 
alludes was an only son, whose aged father at first objected to 
the enlistment of his much loved child, and he called on Col. 
Thomas to consult about it. "I cannot bear," he said, with 
deep feeling, "to have my son enter an army to fight against 
the government of the United States ! I dislike to have him go 
into the army at all, but I fear it is the only way he can be kept 
out of the Confederate service ; therefore I consent that he shall 
go with you to save the cause of the Union." The tears rolled 
down his cheeks and he trembled with emotion, as he added : 
" It is hard to let him go, for he is all that I have." 

Who can portray the heart-rending grief of such a father, 
when, a few days after the execution, he searched out the body 
of his son among its fellows in the dust, and with trembling 
hands tenderly bore it away to a consecrated resting-place .'' 
The idol of his love, the staff of his age, had fallen, and who 
could comfort him .'* 

When Col. Thomas heard the story of the shooting of these 
men he reported the facts to General Butler, who declared, in a 
forcible manner : " By the Eternal ! it shall cost them fourteen 
lives." The colonel also made a report of the affair in writing, 
and asked for a court of inquiry, to investigate the deed ; but 
before action was taken. Gen. Butler was superseded by Gen. 
Banks, and the government never sought to punish the instiga- 
tors of this military murder. 

To this day there remains in the treasury of Vermont the 
5 



66 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

State pay of seven dollars a month clue these enlisted Germans. 
But it has never been drawn, and since the war closed, though 
every effort has been made to find the lawful claimants, nothing 
has been heard from them. 

Wm. H. Brown and Dennis Kean, of Company G, surren- 
dered by Capt. Hall, were recognized on reaching Vicksburg as 
deserters from the Confederate army, and were consequently 
shot March 7, 1863, on the same day that the gun-boat Diana 
was captured by the enemy. 

JBefore the regiment broke camp at Algiers Orderly Sergeant 
George E. Selleck, of Company I, was promoted to second 
lieutenant, vice J. C. Morse. 

All his comrades will recollect Andrew McKenzie, who was 
drowned at Algiers, and how he became a member of Company 
B. After the company was full he wished to enlist in it, and 
it was agreed that if he would go South with them, the boys 
would share their rations with him until a vacancy occurred. 
He went, and at New York one man deserted the ranks, and 
McKenzie took his place. 

The promotions from the Eighth Vermont to other regi- 
ments, made during the fall and early winter months, are here 
given, with as full data as could be obtained ; it is probable, 
however, that some are omitted, because the records are not 
at hand : Oscar W. Goodridge and Charles W. Blake, of Com- 
pany A, were made captains of colored volunteers. Sergts. 
Augustine P. Hawley and Henry C. Abbott, Company C, cap- 
tains of Second Louisiana Volunteers. Serg. L. I. Winslow, 
Company H, captain — ■. Rev. Isaac Blake, fifer Company B, 
chaplain Third Colored Regiment. Edward D. Mooney, Com- 
pany B, lieutenant Fourth United States Colored Troops. 
Michael B. Tobin, Company A, second lieutenant colored regi- 
ment. Hiram P. Harney, Company B, and James Noyes, 
Company C, were made second lieutenants of the colored 
national guards raised under direction of Col. Thomas. Sergt. 
Harvey O, Kiscr, Company A, and William K. Crosby, L. K. 
Chamberlin, Elijah K. Prouty, Horace W. Kennedy, and 
Hiram L. Whipple, of Company C, were made second lieu- 




Isaac Blake, Co. B, 



LEAVING ALGIERS. 67 

tenants of Louisiana Volunteers. Lucius W, Bissell, Com- 
pany G, first lieutenant Third Louisiana National Guards, 
January, 1863. Stillman Smith, Company H, second lieu- 
tenant Second Louisiana Volunteers. Capt. H. E. Perkins, 
Company F, major United States colored regiment. Lewis 
R. Titus, Parker J. Noyes, and Sumner W. Lewis, Company 
C, lieutenants in United States colored regiments. Warren B. 
Stickney, Company H, lieutenant Ninety-ninth United States 
colored infantry, and then appointed superintendent of first 
public colored schools in New Orleans, In 1885 he was 
appointed superintendent of the Freedmen's Bureau, in Lou- 
isiana. William S. Peabody, Company D, lieutenant United 
States colored troops. Rufus H. Clark, Charles B. Fullington, 
Harvey L. Smith, William G. Westover, and Charles G. Wood, 
of Company A, were also promoted and received commissions 
in other regiments. Azariah T. Wild, Company D, quarter- 
master third colored regiment. First Lieut. J. C. Morse, Com- 
pany I, resigned October 25, 1862. First Lieut. A. J. Howard, 
Company K, died November 18, 1862, while he was acting 
quartermaster. Assistant Surgeon S. H. Currier resigned 
October 20, 1862. 

The members of the regiment will have pleasant recollections 
of Charles W. Blake, or " Father " Blake, as he was familiarly 
called, who enlisted as fifer in Company B. He often held 
evening religious meetings in camp, and at Algiers he fre- 
quently preached to the colored people. Chaplain Williams 
found him a helpful assistant in taking care of the sick and 
wounded, and he often said the funeral service over a dead 
comrade. When "Father" Blake was promoted to the chap- 
laincy of a colored regiment, all felt that it was a merited 
compliment to a faithful soldier and a noble man. 

For weeks the Eighth Vermont had occupied a camp at 
Algiers, and felt that wherever they might be detailed for tem- 
porary service, this was in one sense a home to which they 
could return and rejoin their comrades. But when Gen. Weit- 
zel assumed command of the brigade to which the regiment 



68 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

belonged, they were transferred to a new field of operation*, 
and the old camp was broken up and deserted. Before the 
movement began, however, Gen. Weitzel selected his staff offi- 
cers, and complimented both the Eighth Regiment and the 
officer, by detailing Quartermaster Fred E. Smith for his acting 
commissary of subsistence. 

Having received orders from Gen. Butler to advance into the 
La Fourche district and drive out the Confederate forces con- 
centrated between Donaldsonville and Thibodeaux, Gen. Weit- 
zel proceeded thither by boat, leaving only the Eighth Vermont 
behind. This movement began on the 24th of October, and 
the troops landed at Donaldsonville, followed down the bayou, 
and meeting the enemy at Labadieville, defeated them and cap- 
tured two hundred and fifty prisoners. 

In his report of this engagement, Gen. " Dick " Taylor says : 

'• In the last days of October the Federal Gen. Weitzel brought up a 
force of some four thousand from New Orleans, landed at Donaldsonville, 
and advanced down the La Fourche, on the west bank. There were Con- 
federates on both sides of the bayou, but, having neglected their floating 
bridge, the:y could not unite. With his own, the Eighteenth, the Crescent, ■ 
Col. McPheeters, and the four-gun battery of Capt. Ralston, — in all five 
hundred men, — Col. Armand resisted Weitzel's advance at Labadieville, 
eight miles above Thibodeaux. The fighting was severe, and Armand only 
retired after his ammunition was exhausted ; but he lost many killed and 
wounded, and some few prisoners. Col. McPheeters was among the 
former, and Captains Ralston and Story among the latter. 

" The loss of the Federals prevented Weitzel from attempting a pursuit, 
and Mouton, who deemed it necessary to retire across Berwick bay, was 
not interrupted in his movement." 

On the same day that the brigade took its departure, the first 
regiment of native colored guards reported to Col. Thomas at 
Algiers. He also received orders to proceed up the track of 
the New Orleans and Opelousas Railroad, dislodge the enemy 
at Bayou des Allemands, and form a junction with Weitzel at 
La Fourche Crossing. In aid of this plan Admiral Farragut 
had sent a fleet around to Berwick bay, under command of 
Commodore Buchanan, to intercept the crossing of the enemy 
at Brashear City. 



IN LINE OF BATTLE. 69 

In the afternoon of October 25th Col. Thomas started in 
pursuance of his orders, and marched his two regiments seven 
miles along the railway, where they bivouacked for the night. 
For the next twenty miles the long unused track was found to 
be so overgrown with thick grass that the locomotive of their 
construction train was impeded, and could make no headway. 
But the orders were to open the road as they went along, and 
put it in running order, and some plan must be devised for 
removing the troublesome grass. There seemed to be but one 
way of effectually doing this, and that was to pull it up with 
their hands, as the boys had often done with weeds in their gar- 
dens at home. At first the men thought that grubbing up 
grass was rather undignified work for soldiers ; but soon the 
white regiment taking the lead fell to work with a will, and the 
colored men followed their good example without complaint. 
As the men proceeded they found it necessary to rebuild cul- 
verts that had been destroyed, and replace rails that had been 
torn up, so that they were two days in reaching Boutee station, 
where they halted for the night. 

At that point Col. Thomas was informed by the negroes 
that the forces of the enenjy were massed at Bayou des Alle- 
mands, and had the place well fortified. On resuming the 
march next morning, therefore, he purposed to continue the 
track repairs as he went forward, attack the enemy when he 
came upon them, and sleep in Des Allemands that night. As 
a precaution he ordered two pieces from a Massachussetts bat- 
tery to be mounted on a platform-car in front of tjie engine, 
and loaded, ready for action if required. The manual labor of 
that day proved to be much the same as that already expe- 
rienced — the men had to straighten and spike down rails, cut 
timber in the woods for sleepers to replace those that were miss- 
ing, remove trees and other obstructions which had been put 
upon the track, and, for a change, pull up grass. In the middle 
of the afternoon they approached a curve in the road which, 
when rounded, would bring them in sight of Des Allemands ; 
and there a halt was made while the colonel formed his men for 
action. The artillery-men took places on the platform-car by 



70 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

their guns ; the Eighth Vermont was to move to the attack on 
the right of the track, and the colored regiment on the left. 

Feeling uncertain how the native guards would behave under 
fire, and whether their courage could be relied on. Col. Thomas 
went down in front of the regiment, before ordering an advance, 
and addressed the colored men. He told them, in substance, 
that they were about to meet the enemy, and that not a man 
must falter ; " for," said he, " if one of you hesitates, I shall 
shoot him on the spot." Then he reminded them that they 
were to fight for the glory of God, and the salvation of their 
country ; to avenge the blood that had (lowed from the lacerated 
backs of themselves, their mothers, wives, and sweethearts ; 
and woe to the man who flinched. While speaking, the 
colonel was shrewdly noting the effect produced by his words, 
and was gratified by seeing them close their lips with firm 
determination, and show by their earnest looks that they would 
do their duty. 

Everything being ready, the skirmishers were ordered to 
advance, and at the word of command the train and troops 
moved forward. Pressing eagerly on, the skirmishers soon 
reached the bayou, only to find it a deserted and smoking ruin ; 
and on the arrival of the main body, instead of an enemy to 
attack, they found evidence on every hand that the Confed- 
erates had fled at their approach. But they had first set fire 
to everything about the station and the long bridge across the 
bayou, and in their haste had left behind four pieces of artillery, 
which were seized as trophies. Referring to this matter, Gen. 
Taylor says : " A few days after the Des Allemands affair I 

was called north Minute instructions were given 

Col. Waller. The danger to be guarded against was pointed 
out, .... and this trap Waller fell into. Most of his 
men escaped by abandoning arms, horses, etc." 

Once more, therefore, the men addressed themselves to the 
business of repairing the railroad, and spent two days in re- 
building the burned bridge and making it safe and passa- 
ble. A train was dispatched to Algiers for tools and tim- 
ber before the job could be finished, and then the force 



DISOBEYING ORDERS. J I 

pushed forward to La Fourche Crossing without, any serious 
delay. 

In his report to the adjutant general of V'ermont, Col. 
Thomas thus tersely sums up the work accomplished during 
that march: "The command pulled the luxurious grass over 
twenty miles of track, built eighteen culverts from ten to 
twenty feet long, rebuilt what was estimated four miles of 
track, rebuilt a bridge 475 feet long, drove the enemy from the 
road, and captured seven cannon, all in one week, for which 
they received from Maj. Gen. Butler a high compliment for 
energy and skill." 

On the 1 8th of November the regiment met with a great loss 
in the death of Lieut. A. J. Howard, acting quartermaster, and 
his place was subsequently filled by the promotion of Lieut. 
S. E. Howard. 

At La Fourche Crossing the troops halted for a day, and 
then Gen. Weitzel ordered Col. Thomas to continue his recon- 
struction march to Brashear City, and put the road in order as 
he advanced. At Bayou Boeuf he found that the enemy had 
burned another bridge which was 675 feet in length. But his 
men were already used to bridge-building, and set about the 
work at once, actually cutting the timber in the adjacent woods 
and preparing it for use. In five days the job was finished, and 
the train passed across the new structure in safety. During 
this period Col. Thomas, aware that squads of the enemy were 
prowling about the country, threw out his pickets up and down 
the bayou, with strict orders to use every means to prevent 
surprises and sudden attacks. 

There was considerable excitement one night within the 
lines, because Private Hutchins, one of the pickets, shot 
an officer for refusing to obey a challenge to " halt, dismount, 
and give the countersign." Complaint was immediately 
made to Col. Thomas, who, on investigating the case, found 
that the blame lay with the injured party. He, with a brother 
officer, being under the influence of liquor, refused to obey the 
order of the sentinel, and Hutchins fired, as he was bound to, 
giving the defiant officer an ugly wound in the shoulder. It 



72 THE EIGHTH VERMOXT 

was a trying ordeal for a private ; but next morning Col. 
Thomas sent for Hutchins, told him he did just right, and, to 
show his appreciation of a soldier who obeyed orders, promoted 
him to be sergeant of Company E. 

About twenty paroled prisoners came into camp one even- 
ing at Bayou Boeuf, who had been ordered to report to Col. 
Thomas, by Commodore Buchanan, commander of the fleet 
at Brashear City. The headquarters of the colonel and 
Adjutant Barstow were in a small room of a house near 
the track, and thither the prisoners went and showed their 
paroles. Col. Thomas received them pleasantly, invited them 
in, and seated them about the room as best he could. He 
then seated himself on a box in the middle of the room, so 
as to face as many of the prisoners as possible. It was already 
dark, and he held in his hand a tallow candle, while Adjutant 
Barstow sat in a corner near a table on which was another 
candle, and the dim lights flared in the faces that huddled 
together before them. 

" Gentlemen," said the colonel, " I want to talk with you a 
little. You are not obliged to answer any more than you have 
a mind to ; but I always tell men to begin with, that what they 
do say must be the truth ; they must n't tell me a lie. Talk as 
much or as little as you choose ; but understand, whatever you 
tell me must be exactly the truth ; — because if you tell me a 
lie I can catch you in it, and I will punish you for it as quick as 
though you were spies. Do n't know but I would hang you be- 
fore you got out of this room. This is what I tell my own 
men and every man who comes in contact with me." 

Having uttered this speech in a stern voice, and produced as 
he thought the desired effect, the colonel changed his tone, and 
in a familiar way inquired what their occupations were before 
they enlisted into the Confederate service. In this way he soon 
drew forth the information that they had been common labor- 
ers when they enlisted, and to what companies they belonged. 
" In this pleasant way, I chatted with the prisoners perhaps 
twenty or thirty minutes," said Col. Thomas, relating the 



STAMPS. 73; 

affair, "for I had addressed them pretty sharply at first, and 
wished to quiet any nervousness that my words might have 
caused. Remember, I sat there in the centre of the group with 
that weird light in my hand and my eyes on the men before 
me; and when they were at their ease and had grown quite 
communicative, suddenly I threw the light up over my head 
out of the way of my eyes, and demanded in a loud, stern 
voice : ' How many of you had a hand in shooting my men at 
Des Allemands ? ' No one answered, and I said, ' There are four 
of you,' looking round on all of them. ' Remember what I told 
you about lying. You did — and you — and you — and you,' 
I shouted in quick succession, pointing them out as I spoke, 
and every one said 'Yes.' 'There is one more,' I said. 'You, 
sir, are the man,' and my finger was pointed directly at him. 
But he denied. ' Take care, ' I shouted, with all the energy I 
could throw into my voice. But he still said ' No,' and the 
others agreed with him. " You are not the man,' I added, still 
keeping my eyes fixed sternly on him, ' I made a mistake ! ' He 
was nearly frightened to death, but I felt convinced that he 
was innocent. Then the men made a clean breast of it, and 
told me all they knew about the shooting of the seven Ger- 
mans, and I believe it to be the only correct account I ever 
received." 

Company C took with them from Vermont a colored barber 
by the name of Stamps, who served them as a cook, and at 
intervals plied his tonsorial vocation. He was allowed consid- 
erable freedom, and when the regiment was at Bayou Boeuf he 
went outside the lines, and did sundry foraging on his own 
account. At length it began to be suspected that Stamps was 
not over-scrupulous in the choice of plunder ; for two old ladies 
called at headquarters one day complaining that a colored man, 
wearing the Federal uniform, had robbed them of their table- 
silver and other valuables. Col. Thomas was loth to believe 
that any one in his command had been guilty of such theft, 
but the ladies insisted that they had followed the robber into 
Camp, and on seeing Stamps, identified him as the culprit. 

Stamps was accordingly subjected to close questioning, and 



74 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

after some equivocation admitted, that he had taken a few 
things, but refused to restore the stolen property. The colonel 
insisted, but Stamps was stubborn. Finally the commander 
resorted to a favorite method of persuasion, and threatened to 
hang him if he did not yield. But Stamps was not scared, 
or, if he was, did not show it, and the order was given to 
throw a rope over the limb of a tree, stand the prisoner on a 
barrel underneath, and place the rope around his neck. 

" Now," said the resolute colonel, " I will give you just two 
minutes to tell where the silver is that you stole." Stamps 
remained quiet for about half the probationary time, and did not 
utter a word. Apparently he was quite indifferent to the feeling 
of a noose tightening around his throat. The last sixty seconds 
were rapidly ticking away on the dial of the colonel's watch, 
and there were signs that the doomed man had something on 
his mind to which he wished to give expression before the 
barrel should be kicked from under his dangling form. "Tell 
'em up in Vermont," said he, " tell 'em old Stamps lived poor, 
but died rich." This was too much for the gravity of Col. 
Thomas, and he ordered the man taken down and placed under 
a guard. But old Stamps never told where he had secreted his 
ill-gotten gains. 

One incident which comrades of the Eighth Vermont fre- 
quently mention when recalling the days at the Bayou Boeuf, was 
the explosion of an ammunition train. It was moving up the 
railroad, and was near the La Fourche Crossing, when the train 
suddenly " blew up, " scattering the fragments in a lively 
manner. Private Peabody, of Company D, was killed, and Lieut. 
C. H, Nason, of Company V, was hurled into the air and landed 
in an adjacent cane-field, severely hurt. 

BRASHEAR CITY. 

Col. Thomas and his regiment finished the work of repairs, 
and reached Brashear City on the 8th of December, 1S62, hav- 
ing begun the expedition October 26th. Eighty miles of track- 
had been put in running order, and railway and telegraphic com- 



CONFEDERATE RETALIATION. 7$ 

munication was opened from Algiers on the Mississippi to 
Berwick bay. At tliis terminus of the road the troops went 
into camp and remained more than a month, garrisoning the 
place, and doing picket duty up and down the bayou. Details 
were also made from time to time to operate the railroad, and 
Capt. H. E. Foster, of Company C, was appointed superintend- 
ent of motive power. 

Several important promotions were made while the regiment 
tarried at Brashear City. Lieut. Col. Brown, who had been 
detailed from his command since May, resigned, and was dis- 
charged from the service; and on the 23d of December Maj. 
Charles Dillingham was promoted to the vacancy. Capt. L. M. 
Grout, of Company A, was made major; First Lieut. Moses 
McFarland was made captain of Company A, Second Lieut. L. 
M. Hutchinson was made first lieutenant, and Corporal A. K. 
Cooper was made second lieutenant. 

It may have detracted somewhat from the pleasure of official 
promotions, that about the time those just mentioned were 
made, the camp were informed of the proclamation issued by 
Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president, wherein he recounted 
the offensive acts of Maj. Gen. Butler, at New Orleans, such as 
the execution of Mumford for tearing down the Union flag, the 
confiscation of private and corporate property, and the order to 
send southern women to prison, and in retaliation declared 
*'that all commissioned officers in the command of said Benja- 
min F. Butler be declared not entitled to be considered as 
soldiers engaged in honorable warfare, but as robbers and 
criminals deserving death, and that they and each of them be, 
whenever captured, reserved for execution." 

Incidents both grave and ludicrous in character were continu- 
ally happening during the stay at Brashear City, and the daily 
experiences and life of the soldiers were not unlike those at 
Algiers a few weeks earlier in the season. One day a gentle- 
man named Van Patten came into camp. He formerly lived in 
New York, but had married a wife near Bayou Boeuf, and was 
returning from a visit to his plantation. He made himself quite 
agreeable, and related a description of the retreat of the rebels 



•J^ THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

on the approach of the Eighth Vermont, that was given him by 
an old negro who had always lived on his place. Part of it ran 
thus : 

" Why, Massa van Patten, do n't you tink dat deze Suverners 
come runnin' one day and drivin' all de niggers an' de mules 
away ; and dey said dat dey had burned de bridge so bad dat 
de d — d Yankes could n't build it dis yeah. And now do n't 
you tink, it wa' n't mo' dan' tree or fo' days, de fust ting I 
knowed, 'long come de ole injine, puffin and snortin,' all cov- 
ered wid doze Norvun fellahs." 

A singular accident hapened at that station, one day, to a 
man who was crossing the track to go on picket duty. His toe 
caught under the rail, and he was thrown flat on his face, while 
the rifle which he was carrying across his shoulder fell directly 
under him, and was discharged by the hammer striking on the 
opposite rail. The ball passed under him from his head the 
entire length of his body, and wounded his foot. 

On another occasion Orderly Sergt. Howard and Private 
Smith, of Company H, procured a boat and rowed down the 
bayou some three miles, where they found a plantation and a 
number of slaves. They told the negroes they had come away 
from the far North to liberate them ; and in spite of the remon- 
strance of the owner, they brought the entire squad back with 
them into camp. Referring to this incident in later years, Sergt. 
Howard is fond of telling his friends that he was the first offi- 
cial emancipator of slaves in the department of the Gulf. 

During the period of his military service, Col. Thomas did 
not altogether lay aside his vocation of judge, for it was an 
event of almost daily occurrence for parties arrested on petty 
charges to be brought before him for examination. Among a 
squad of such officers there appeared one morning a tall, sober- 
looking man, who had been caught by a sentinel in the colored 
regiment, in the act of running the picket guard. His sable 
captor was called in and ordered to state his charge in detail, 
which he did as follows : 

" Well, Massa Colonel, dis man was stealin' by de lock ob de 
canal, and I called out to him to halt, and he did n't halt ; but 



A CLERICAL PICKET-RUNNER. 77 

he passed on to go under de shade ob de masonry. I pinted 
my gun at him and tole him to stop and come back. He said 
he wanted to go ober dar, and would make it all right wiv me, 
if I would let him go 'long ; and he den spoke in der low voice, 
and said he would give me one half dollar. But I would n't 
take none of his money So I captured him, and brung him in." 

"You must feel quite flattered at such a report," observed 
the colonel ; " where were you born 1 " 

"Well, sir, I was born in New England," replied the prisoner. 

" What ! born in New England, and trying to run my 
pickets .'' " 

" But please remember," said the accused, " that I wanted to 
get home and attend to my profession." 

"What is your profession .' " said Col. Thomas. 

" I am a minister of the Gospel," replied the man solemnly. 

The colonel eyed him sharply, as though taking an inventory 
of the clerical prisoner's intellectual and spiritual outfit, then 
continued forcibly : 

" A minister of the Gospel, — a New England born man, — 
and down here disobeying the laws of the land, trying to steal 
by my pickets, and go over to the enemy ! What, sir, do you 
think will become of a man who does such things against the 
law of the best country the sun ever shone upon .'' " 

The man began to realize that it was no ecclesiastical tribu- 
nal before which he was arraigned. 

"Where do you think you will go to," added the colonel, 
"when you die.-* " 

"Well, colonel, I humbly hope to reach heaven at last," he 
drawled out, with much nasal cant in his tone ; but the next 
words from the stern questioner startled him. 

"Sir, do you think Gen. Washington and Ethan Allen 
would allow any such d — d scoundrel as you to go to heaven, 
after trying to jump my picket lines .'' " 

Maj. Dillingham, who was near by, interrupted him with the 
query : 

" Do you think that Gen. Washington is in command there, 
colonel .'* " 



y8 . THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

" By the eternal ! sir, I do think he has got something ta 
say about such cl — d villains coming into those quarters," was 
the colonel's emphatic answer. 

A good story is told by one of the boys, who must have been 
in a position to know whereof he spoke, concerning a gallant 
young man who championed the cause of an injured lady, with a 
loyal devotion worthy of a knight of chivalry. She came into 
camp one day from Bayou Boeuf, claiming to be a staunch 
Union woman, whose husband was a relative of ex-Secre- 
tary Chase. She complained that she was molested by thieves, 
who entered her premises at night and robbed her of live-stock 
and family stores, and she asked for the protection of a guard. 
Col. Thomas, having satisfied himself that she was a deserving 
woman, detailed a young commissioned officer who was just 
recovering from a severe illness, with instructions to remain at 
her house and recuperate, and if he found robbers prowling 
around the place at night, to shoot 'em. 

Deeply sensible of his great responsibility, this young man- 
did not permit slumber to visit his eyelids during the first night 
spent at the lady's house, but there was no disturbance. But 
the next night weariness overcame him, and he slept pro- 
foundly till morning, and then rose to find that a sleek grunter 
was missing from the well-stocked swine-yard. The discovery 
roused him to sleepless vigils during the third period of his noc- 
turnal watch, and about midnight he heard a short, angry " woof ! 
woof!" which warned him that the defenceless swine were again 
endangered. Seizing his ready revolver, the youthful brave 
crept noiselessly to the spot whence the sound came. It was 
very dark, and he approached within a few feet of several men, 
who were conversing in suppressed, whispers, and a moment 
later he observed one of them trying to dispatch one of the hogs 
with an axe. 

It was time to interfere, and pointing his weapon in the 
direction of the party as nearly as he could, he fired five 
shots, at the same time stamping with his foot and shouting : 
" Come on, boys, we've got 'em !" The robbers gave a fright- 
ened yell, and scurried across the field, and the guard fell back 



GENERAL BUTLER. 79 

within the house and reloaded his pistol. Soon there was a 
loud knocking at the front door, and in reply to his challenge, 
"Who 's there ? " he was told that his firing had been heard at 
the picket station near by, and the officer in command wished 
to know what the trouble was. Being admitted, the officer 
further explained he had just met some fugitives who escaped 
into a corn-field, but one of their number, a desperate character 
named Pickens, who had been the curse of the neighborhood,, 
was severely wounded, and made prisoner. There was no more 
petty thieving on those premises ; and although the lady could 
not consistently reward her champion with her hand, after the 
manner of ladies in the tales of knight errantry. Adj. Barstow 
tendered the youth a little supper on his return to camp, and, 
in a felicitous speech, complimented him for his prowess, and 
dubbed him " the hero, not of Cowpens, but of hog-pens." 

It is fitting that a word should be said in this volume con- 
cerning Gen. Butler. During the first eight months of active 
service the regiment was under his command, doing duty in the 
department of the Gulf. For several weeks the men were 
under his immediate supervision in the city of New Orleans, 
and his considerate care for them won the high regard of both 
officers and privates. Gen. Butler, too, came to know and to 
confide in the regiment and its leader. Col. Thomas, whom he 
soon placed in command of the west bank of the Mississippi. 

Concerning the relations between Gen. Butler and the army 
serving under him there can be but one opinion. He realized the 
dangers to which they were exposed in that sickly, semi-tropical 
climate, and did all that was in his power to shield them. He 
considered their inexperience in military duties, he insisted 
that the sick and wounded should have the best of care, and 
that the dead should be suitably buried and honors paid to their 
memory. 

The Eighth Regiment on their part felt the utmost confidence 
in the ability and devoted loyalty of their major general. They 
believed him humane as well as brave ; they respected him as an 
officer and loved him as a man. From personal knowledge of 



So THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

the facts, they gladly indorse the statements in the general's 
farewell address to the citizens of New Orleans: "I found 
you captured, but not surrendered ; conquered, but not orderly ; 
relieved from the presence of an army, but incapable of taking 
care of yourselves. I restored order, punished crime, opened 
commerce, brought provisions to your starving people, reformed 
your currency, and gave you quiet protection, such as you had 

not enjoyed for many years I found the dungeon, 

the chain, and the lash your only means of enforcing obedience 
in your servants. I leave them peaceful, laborious, controlled 
by the laws of kindness and justice," 

To this it may be added with equal truth that he and his sol- 
diers patiently endured obloquy and insult until he could cure 
it ; he prevented the yellow fever from visiting the city for 
many years ; he revived the ruined business of the city and 
added millions to its wealth ; he cleansed and improved the 
streets and thoroughfares ; he gave remunerative employment 
to the poor, and bettered the condition of the colored popu- 
lation, both slave and free. 

Besides caring for the welfare of a great city. Gen. Butler 
was prompt and efficient in the work of putting down the 
Rebellion, and opening to commerce the great waterway of the 
Mississippi. 

Twenty-four years after his visit to Vermont for the purpose 
of raising troops, Gen. Butler bears grateful testimony to the 
character and worth of the men who responded to his call, in 
the following letter : 

Boston, November i6, 1885. 
Dear Sir : I have your letter, saying that the history of the Eighth Ver- 
mont is about to be published. No regiment has a better one. I have the 
most kindly and grateful remembrances for the state of Vermont — Gover- 
nor Fairbanks, as is my memory — in enabling that regiment to be raised ; 
and I believe a special act of the legislature was passed that it might be 
raised. I have a very vivid remembrance of the kindness with which I 
was treated by the executive and legislative branches of the government of 
the state of Vermont in that regard, when I visited its capital in pursuance 
of the instructions of the President to have a regiment raised for southern 
service. The recruiting of the Eighth was promptly done, and no better 



GEXERAL BUTLER. 8 1 

men as a body ever entered the service of the United States. It went to 
Ship Island, thence to New Orleans, when the army took possession, thence 
it was sent across the river to take possession of Algiers, thence thrown 
out as an out-post regiment to hold the line of railroad and keep open our 
communications with Ba3'0u Teche, and thence it joined Weitzel's expedi- 
tionary force in which the whole of Western Louisiana was captured, as 
against the forces of General Dick Taylor. I remember the high enco- 
mium given to the regiment by General Weitzel, and the regiment never 
had anything else for its behavior in any position in which it was placed. 
I would speak of its officers by name, but they will appear in your history, 
and there is no need of specifying the officers where all did their duty so 
nobly and well. I am, 

\'erv truly. 

Your friend and servant, 

Bexj. F. Buxr.EK. 
George N. Carpenter, Esq., 

-51 Milk Street. Boston, Mass. 



III. 



BATTLE OF THE COTTON. 

The Eighth Vermont rested in camp at Brashear City after 
the opening of the railroad in November ; but on the eighth of 
January, 1863, they were ordered to move to Camp Stevens 
near Thibodeaux. Two days later a second order came to 
return again to Brashear City, equipped with three days' cooked 
rations. This meant business, though the men did not know at 
that time its full import. But some new expedition was on foot 
in which the entire brigade was expected to engage. 

Gen. Banks, in carrying out the plans already matured by 
Gen. Butler, whom he superseded in the department of the Gulf, 
had learned that the rebels under Gen. Taylor had a formid- 
able gun-boat in the Bayou Teche, called the Cotton, and were 
preparing other boats for offensive warfare. He consequently 
ordered Weitzel to unite with the naval force in the bayou, and 
destroy this dangerous craft. 

That gun-boat, which had been the terror of the Teche, was 
named after John L. Cotton, a wealthy planter of Louisiana. 
He was originally an ardent Union man, and opposed secession 
to the last, as did nearly all the citizens of the Attakapas 
country. But after the state legislature passed the ordinance of 
secession, he espoused the Confederate cause with equal enthu- 
siasm ; and as a contribution to the defences of the newly 
organized government, he fitted out a river steamer which he 
owned, equipped it as a gun-boat, and presented it to the Con- 
federacy. The full name of the boat, therefore, was the John 



ADVANCING ON THE COTTON. 83 

L. Cotton ; and it was partially iron-clad and carried a heavy 
armament. The commander was Capt. Fuller, a western 
steamboat man, "one of the bravest of a bold, daring class." 
He fought manfully, and, after his pilot had been killed, and his 
own arm broken, he worked the wheel with his feet and steered 
his boat. 

In pursuance of orders, the infantry went on board trans- 
ports at Brashear City, on the morning of January 13, and 
steamed up the bayou, while the artillery moved along the shore 
road. There was some slight skirmishing with the enemy that 
evening, and the troops landed and bivouacked in line of battle. 

The plan adopted for the next morning was for the fleet to 
proceed up the bayou and open the attack, to be immediately 
followed by the land forces as a support. The troops were to 
move up the right bank ; but just before they started Gen. 
Weitzel rode in front of the Eighth Vermont and read to them 
a dispatch he had received, containing resolutions of thanks and 
commendation for the service they had rendered, passed by the 
legislature of their own state. The message was greeted with 
cheers ; and before departing the general remarked that he 
knew of no more opportune time to present those encouraging- 
words, and he hoped the regiment would prove themselves 
worthy of the confidence reposed in them. The purport of this 
compliment was not lost, and every man in the lines knew 
that it meant hot work ahead. 

Col. Thomas then rode up and down the lines, speaking 
words of encouragement. Gen. Weitzel had ordered him to 
detail an officer and sixty men as sharpshooters, to advance 
and pick off the gunners from the deck of the Cotton. At once 
more than twice the required number of volunteers sprang 
forward at his call, from which a selection was made, and 
Capt. Button, of Company H, volunteered to lead them. Pre- 
liminaries being arranged, Quartermaster F. E. Smith, then of 
Gen. Weitzel's staff, provided a transport on which the regiment 
embarked and moved up the stream. Soon the guns of the 
fleet began to be heard, and Col. Thomas, anxious to support 
the attack, became impatient of the slow progress of the boat. 



84 THE EIGHTH M'lRMONT. 

and ordered a landing to be made. The first two attempts to 
bring the boat to the bank failed on account of the shallow 
water, and much precious time was consumed by the delay. 
But the third succeeded, and when the last man had passed 
the gang-plank, the regiment was in line to march. Capt 
Button and his sixty men, however, remained on board, and 
were landed near the gun-boats, about two miles further up 
the bayou. Col. Thomas then marched rapidly by the flank 
along the old road, running nearly parallel with the bayou, 
and separated from it by cane-fields and a thick growth of 
trees. 

At this time the situation of the fleet was unknown to the 
regiment. Col Thomas was simply making a rapid advance in 
obedience to orders ; but whether his trusty soldiers, as they 
hurried forward that morning, were to confront only a naval 
force, or batteries and rifles, was an unsolved problem. The 
brisk fire from the gun-boats could be distinctly heard not far 
away, but the men, as they pushed on in a double-quick march, 
did not know Commodore Buchanan's fleet and the Cotton were 
facing each other, separated only by impassable obstructions 
placed there by the enemy, that the shots were delivered at 
short range with telling effect, and that the rebel gun-boat was 
supported by Semmes's battery on the one side, and infantry 
on the other. 

Meanwhile the Union fleet, being hard pushed, were on the 
lookout for the approach of the regiment and the sixty sharp- 
shooters ; and as soon as the boat carrying the latter came 
within hailing distance of the rear gun-boat of the fleet, the 
commander asked if Capt. Button could send a message to Col. 
Thomas. Being answered in the affirmative, he said in an 
excited manner: "Run, for God's sake, and tell Thomas if 
those rifle-pits are not cleared in five minutes the Calhoun is 
lost. She is aground, l^uchanan is killed, and her gunners have 
been driven away from the guns." On hearing this startling 
message. Orderly Sergeant S. E. Howard, by whom this account 
is furnished, sprang into a small boat and was instantly set 
ashore, when he ran with all his might towards the advancing 




^'^e BUCVA^^" 




^'"'^^N c CV^^^' 





*^« McF^^^'■' 




^'V A. RIP^^ 



■"O^N BlSB^-^' 



(hV THE RUN. 85 

regiment, and at the same time Capt. Button made all haste to 
land his men. 

But Col. Thomas was apprised of the peril of the fleet by a 
speedier messenger, before the arrival of the swift-footed young 
orderly. Capt. Cook, who was on the lookout from one of the 
vessels, caught the attention of Thomas, and motioned him to 
come down to the boats. Adj. Barstow was, accordingly, dis- 
patched thither. He learned that the unsupported Calhoun 
(Buchanan's flag-ship) was at the front, exposed not only to the 
guns of the Cotton, but to a cross-fire from a line of rifle-pits 
on the bank, and galloped back with the news. Instantly the 
regiment was formed in line of battle, and the men started on 
the run. As they passed an open shed in the edge of the cane- 
fields they were ordered to throw off all their heavy equip- 
ments without halting, and the adjutant was ordered again to 
ride down to the boats and get what information he could about 
the location of the land force in their front. 

As Barstow galloped back he saw that Company A, com- 
manded by Lieut. McFarland, were thrown out as skirmishers, 
but not deployed, and that the troops were nearing a cluster of 
buildings comprising a large sugar-house and brick-kiln, which 
stood on rising ground. Knowing that the rifle-pits must be 
just on the other side, he ordered three lads, belonging to Com- 
pany A, to run up and peer round the corner of the kiln, and 
bring him word how the enemy was located. But instead of 
returning the boys became excited, climbed to the top of the 
kiln and began to fire at the rebels, who were so intent on 
destroying the gunners on the Federal gun-boats, that they 
knew nothing of the danger which threatened to annihilate 
them from the rear. At that moment Button and his sixty 
picked men came rushing up between the regiment and the 
bayou, their guns trailed and the men running like a squadron 
of charging cavalry. 

The moment had come for a brilliant dash ; with the brave 
McFarland on the right and the gallant Button on the left, 
the entire regiment swooped down on the surprised riflemen, 
and literally wiped them out in an instant. The scared Johnnies 



S6 THE EIGHTH lERMONT. 

who a riioment before were hiding so securely in then* pits, 
while they dealt a murderous fire at the Union gunners, threw 
away their guns and fled to the cane-fields in utter confusion. 
Seven were killed outright, twenty-seven were wounded, and 
fifty-seven made prisoners, while the Eighth Vermont lost not 
a single man. It is probable that the entire force in the pits 
would have been captured had they not received warning of the 
charge from the boys who fired at them from the kiln. As it 
was, more than two hundred stand of arms were taken, and the 
enemy was utterly routed. 

This brilliant and successful onslaught was watched with 
intense delight by the crews on the gun-boats, and as the regi- 
ment swept past, they gave them cheer upon cheer. Gen. 
Weitzel, too, was so much pleased with their gallant behavior, 
that he named them his right bower. Nor was it any fault of the 
brave Vermonters that they were not there in time to protect 
the Calhoun and save the life of her much-loved commander 
and trusty gunners. "We moved so fast," said Col. Thomas, 
referring to the event, "that we outstripped Button's boat, 
and the rest of the brigade dubbed us the Vermont Cavalry." 

The impetus of the charge carried the lines somewhat 
beyond the rifle-pits, where a momentary halt was made, while 
the prisoners were placed under guard, and Col. Thomas 
ordered some negroes who were at hand to bury the Confeder- 
ate dead. At this time, too, a member of Company C, who 
was so short of stature that he went by the name of "Little" 
Danforth, brought to the colonel a very tall prisoner and asked 
what he should do with him. 

"Take him to the rear," was the answer. 

"But he says he is all tired out and can't travel," persisted 
" Little " Danforth. 

They looked, and the " reb " had flung himself on the 
ground, feigning to be perfectly exhausted. 

"Put a bayonet through him, then," said Thomas, sternly. 

On hearing this order, the prisoner sprang nimbly up and 
trudged on ; but the sequel afforded Col. Thomas a deal of 
amusement, and showed the trusting simplicity of the tender- 



THEY DISCOVER A FORT. 87 

hearted youth who made the capture. That night " Little " 
Danforth went to the headquarters of the fatherly old com- 
mander, and asked in a tone of deep solicitude : " Col. Thomas, 
did you really mean to have me put a bayonet through that 
prisoner .' " 

Soon the order to advance was given, and the main body 
of the regiment moved along the open fields, while Button's 
men kept close to the bayou, and Company A gradually bore a 
little to the right. After marching' something more than a 
mile they came ^ a line of earthworks, around and behind 
which the bayou made a sharp bend. Lieut. McFarland was 
detailed to inspect them, and found them deserted ; and in the 
near vicinity was a bridg'« across which the fugitive riflemen 
might have made their escape. In a few moments an enfilad- 
ing shot came from the left and fell between two men, and was 
shortly followed by several more. The source of these missiles 
proved to be a Confederate redoubt or fort on the opposite side 
of the bayou, partially hidden from view by the trees that 
fringed the bank. 

Warned by these signals of danger. Col. Thomas retired his 
men beyond range of the enemy's guns, at the same time send- 
ing Adj. Barstow to recall Capt. Button, and Capt. Grout to 
bear a like message to Lieut. McFarland. But before they 
retreated, Barstow and Button penetrated to the bank of the 
bayou, to ascertain if they could whether Gen. Weitzel with his 
brigade had also advanced as far on the opposite side. They 
neither saw nor heard anything of his forces, and there were 
no signs of troops, except a mounted officer and an orderly, 
who were silently gazing at them across the stream. At first 
it was impossible to tell whether they were friends or foes ; but 
soon the officer turned his horse so as to place the sheltering 
trunk of a large cypress tree between himself and the two who 
watched him ; then Barstow said, " He is a rebel." 

The withdrawal of the advance lines seemed to have been 
taken by the enemy as a signal that the regiment could not be 
decoyed any nearer, and immediately they opened their mounted 
guns upon them. But the troops steadily retired out of range 



88 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

pf the shot and shell, and found near them a large sugar- 
house and other buildings, which would afford them some pro- 
tection. Meanwhile Col. Thomas learned that Gen. Weitzel's 
force was a mile below his own on the other side, and also 
received orders to hold his position until morning. It was a 
post of extreme danger. Just on the other side of the bayou 
was a hostile force, whose size they could not estimate, though 
beyond a doubt it was many times their own ; and across a 
bridge covered by the enemy's guns, this force could be thrown 
upon them at any moment. The brigade ^^Bfls bivouacked at 
least a mile below, and could not cross the bayou without boats, 
while the fleet was still farther away. In a word, no help 
could come to them in case of an attack, and it looked very 
much as though they were left alone, at the mercy of a foe 
who would delight to cut to pieces and destroy them. Indeed, 
Gen. Weitzel was well aware of their dangerous situation, and 
had been solicitous all day for the safety of his " right bower." 
In this perilous situation night and a rough " norther " overtook 
the lone regiment, clouds enveloped them in inky darkness, 
while a cold, drizzling rain chilled the weary men to the bone. 

But Col. Thomas was equal to the occasion. He knew that, 
under cover of night, the next best thing to being strongly 
reinforced would be to make the enemy believe such was 
the case. So he planned an adroit and, as the result proved, 
very successful strategy. He caused a line of fires nearly two 
miles in extent to be built from the bayou on one side to the 
swamp on the other ; and by keeping these ablaze through the 
night deceived the rebels into thinking that either he was in 
command of a formidable army, or that his numerical strength 
had been greatly augmented during the evening. 

This imagined army, like the hosts which the wizard Merlin 
summoned out of the impalpable air to confront his foes, 
appalled the Confederates quite effectually ; and presently the 
fact that the deception was complete was announced by a herald 
of flame. About eleven o'clock in the evening the dreaded 
Cotton came slowly down the Teche, wrapped in a brilliant 
sheet of fire, burned to the water's edge, and sank just below 



s/fi£±L. 




RETURN OF THE REG EM E NT. 89 

the rebel fort. Fearing that their strong gun-boat would fall 
into the hands of the ghostly army created by the magic of 
burning bushes, the enemy had abandoned and set her on fire. 
Thus by most unexpected means was the grand end of the 
expedition accomplished, and the brigade was ready to return 
to camp next morning. 

At that time, of course, the apparent result of the strategy 
devised by Col. Thomas was assumed to be the true one ; and 
it is gratifying, now that years have elapsed, to have the 
assumption confirmed by testimony from the enemy's side. 
During the years 1878 and 1879, Sergt. Brown, of Company H, 
worked with an ex-soldier who was in the Confederate ranks, 
and a member of a Louisiana regiment which participated in 
the engagement of the Cotton. After the twain had become 
well acquainted, they often talked over their army experiences 
together ; and one day the ex-Confederate asked Brown how 
large a reinforcement the Eighth Vermont received the night 
after the charge on the rifle-pits. He could hardly credit the 
statement, when Brown told him they were not reinforced at 
all, and assured him that the rebel officers in command on the 
other side of the bayou were so certain of it, that they burned 
the Cotton to prevent it from being captured. Their own force, 
he said, included three regiments of infantry, two squadrons of 
cavalry, and two batteries ; and their plan was to attack Col. 
Thomas that night, if he had not, as they supposed, received 
aid. 

Early the next morning orders came from Gen. Weitzel for 
the regiment to fall back to the first transport, and embark for 
Brashear City. He complimented them for their bravery, and 
said that, since the Eighth Vermont had done all the fighting, 
they should not walk back. But before this welcome message 
was received, officers on the lookout from the top of the sugar- 
house saw long lines of rebel cavalry advancing toward them 
over the ground traversed by McFarland's skirmishers the day 
before. Consequently a strong rear guard was maintained 
while the regiment retired, setting fire to store-houses filled 
with corn and forage supplies as they went. 



90 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

The brigade moving on the other side was already far down 
the bayou, closely pressed by the enemy ; and the gun-boat 
with the gallant Eighth on board would have been attacked by 
riflemen, had she not backed down, keeping up at the same 
time a continuous raking fire on either side, which kept the 
foe at a respectful distance. 

Accounts of the dash and heroism of the Eighth Vermont 
soon found their way into the newspapers all through the loyal 
states, and laid the foundation of the enviable fame which the 
regiment subsequently achieved, and nobly sustained until the 
close of the war. Vermont was proud of her gallant sons, and 
their reputation for prowess was firmly established. The story 
of that day's service was published also in more permanent 
records, and historians of the war paused in their stories to 
pay the regiment a well-deserved tribute. Horace Greeley, in 
his voluminous work, says, after describing the preliminary 
movements : 

" By this time the Eighth Vermont had gained the enemy's 
rear, and was making a rapid clearance of the rifle-pits, while 
the batteries of the First Maine, and the Fourth and Sixth 
Massachusetts, supported by sharpshooters from the Seventy- 
fifth and One Hundred and Sixtieth New York, had flanked the 
defences on the other side, and were sweeping the decks of the 
Cotton, whose crew beat a retreat, as did most of the rebels on 
land." 

Comte de Paris, the French writer on the war of the 
Rebellion, says in his history : 

" The Eighth Vermont, being first to land, was to advance 
and attack the principal works of the Confederates in the rear. 
.... Buchanan, on boardt he Calhoun, didnot permit himself 
to be intimidated, and, immovable on the bridge of his vessel, 
steered it directly against the enemy's works. A shower of 
balls fell around him and he was soon mortally wounded. But 
his daring had not been without effect : whilst he was thus oc- 
cupying the enemy, the Eighth Vermont reached the gorge of 
the work, and captured the breastworks by which it was de- 
fended. The garrison, entirel}' occupied by the novel combat. 



CAMP STEVENS. 9 1 

did not even make an effort to resist this new attack, but dis- 
persed at once." This statement, though incorrect in some 
particulars, pays a glowing tribute to the daring of the men who 
saved the day and " did all the fighting." 

Where so much was due to individual courage and prudence, 
it would be difficult to decide who of Col. Thomas's officers and 
men were most deserving of credit. Each in his sphere, from 
commander to the last private in the ranks, seemed bent on 
doing his duty, and accomplishing the work to which the regi- 
ment had been assigned. Nothing could exceed the spirited 
dash of Capt. Button and his picked sixty, or Lieut. McFarland 
and his thirty-five ; but equally brave was Sergeant Howard, 
when he leaped ashore from the boat of the Diana, and, running 
through a storm of bullets, carried the message to his colonel. 
Capt. Grout and Lieut. Spalding were also very efficient, and 
Capt Lynde, of Company I, who was acting quartermaster, was 
at the front doing duty through the entire day. Adj. Barstow 
was in this, as in every engagement where he served, simph- 
Col. Thomas multiplied, and his care for the men will be grate- 
fully remembered by every survivor of the regiment. Orderly 
Sergt. S. E. Howard, of Company H, who carried the message 
from the gun-boats to Col. Thomas, was promoted to second 
lieutenant, his commission dating January 13th, 1863, the same 
day the expedition started up the bayou. 

The regiment returned to Camp Stevens without the loss of 
a man, and enjoyed a quiet rest of several weeks, during which 
time George O. Ford, of Company K, was promoted to second 
lieutenant, his commission being issued Feb. 19th. On the 
27th the camp was menaced by a large force of the enemy, 
and compelled -to fall back to Bayou Boeuf. The gun-boat 
Diana was captured by the Confederates on the 7th of March, 
and Adj. J. L. Barstow was commissioned captain of Company 
K on the 21st. On the 2d of April the regiment was ordered 
to join the brigade at Brashear City, prior to another expedi- 
tion up the Teche under Maj. Gen. Banks. On the same day 
John M. Pike, of Company G, was commissioned second lieuten- 
ant, and Second Lieut. John B. Mead was promoted to first 



92 THE EIGHTH VERMOXT. 

lieutenant ; on the fifth of the following month these two offi- 
cers were again promoted, Mead becoming captain, and Pike 
first lieutenant. At this time, also, Weitzel's reserve brigade 
was reorganized, and composed of the Eighth Vermont^ 
Twelfth Connecticut, and Seventy-fifth, One Hundred and 
Fourteenth, and One Hundred and Sixtieth New York. From 
that time the Eighth Vermont, Twelfth Connecticut, and One 
Hundred and Sixtieth New York were destined to serve 
together until the close of the war. , 

Early the following April a half-famished colored man 
appeared in camp, and gave the boys what some one very 
properly styled a Sunday evening entertainment. An officer 
of the regiment gave a long description of it in a letter written 
to a friend, and it presents so good a picture of the typical 
contraband on first coming within the Union lines, that a 
liberal abstract of the epistle is herein transcribed : 

"An old negro, dressed in dirty-white, coarse flannel, very 
much patched, a coon-skin hat which I should think would 
have roasted his black head, and boots run down at the heels 
and out at the toes, came into camp about nine o'clock, 
[Sunday night] and said that he started at dark on Friday from 
Martinsville on the Teche, in a little row-boat, taking with him 
a shot-bag full of half dollars rolled up in his blanket. This 
money constituted his entire worldly fortune, which he had 
been thirty years in accumulating. 

"The negro reports that Capt. Fuller, who was wounded on 
the Cotton, was at his ' massa's ' house, and told him he should 
attack Gen. Weitzel on Sunday or Monday night, by water and 
by land. The old slave was so afraid that 'de Yankees' would 
be taken by surprise, and beaten, that he set out to give 
' Massa Gen'l Wyzle ' warning. He pulled his boat all night, 
and at eight o'clock Saturday morning was in Grand Lake, 
when he espied Capt. Fuller with two gun-boats and about 
twenty-five flat-boats, apparently making ready to transport 
troops across the lake. 

" Hastily sliding his boat into the weeds where it would not 



DICK'S STORY. 93 

be discovered, he lay down in the bottom to watch opera- 
tions. Directly the marines began firing, evidently for prac- 
tice ; and the old man thus described the manoeuvres : ' One 
ob de boats wiv wheels on de side turned roun' middlin' quick, 
and fired right smart. Yes, sah ! I could see de hot iun 
dey techt off de big guns wiv. But dat odder ole black boat, 
wiv de wheel behine, she aint much 'count nohow. No, indeed, 
massa, she aint much 'count, kaze it tuck so long to turn 'er 
roun.' She fired off one side, and den let on de steam to turn 
roun', and she went so slow — chou ! — chou ! — chou ! — 'way 
roun' de lake. Oh, golly ! dis ole nigger did larf den, and said 
to hisself, " Dick, guess you git 'way now. When dem Nor- 
vuners see dat boat, dey will jes ' shoot 'er all tab pieces, afo' 
she c'n turn roun' to shoot off de odder side wonst." 

" ' Yes, indeed, Dick seed 'er sure nuff, and looked at her 
clus, and cud heah ole Cap'n Fuller cussin' 'n swearin ; oh, 
good Massa above ! how he did cus dem men kaze dey cudn' 
turn roun' quicker. But he said he was gwin tah play you all 
some trick. He 'lowed ez how he wud "drive every d — d 
Yankee 'way from heah ;" and he's got a big parcle of men, and 
dey is pow'f '1 ugly. Yes, massa, I'm tellin' de trufe. And so 
I laid dere till nigh 'bout seben o'clock Saturd'y ebenin', afo' 
I cud git 'way, and den I pulled all night agin, and did n't hab 
nuffin t' eat But I kep sayin ' : "Go ahead, ole Dick; tell 
'em what ole Fuller is gwin t' do ; and if ye die from bein' 
hungry, no mattah, kaze you '11 be doin' some good, and den 
you '11 git to heben." So I pulled on. But de lake wuz so big, 
and I wuz so fur from shore, dat I cudn' see ez I wuz gittin' 
ahead any. But sometimes I passed by a stick in de watah, 
and I went by so quick, I knowd I wuz gwine good. 

" ' When it kum mornin' I kep pullin', and when de sun wuz 
'bout free hours up ole Dick begun ter git faint ; and he got 
skeered dat he cud n't hold out t' git t' whar ye all wuz ; an' he 
pulled to de bank, and asked a man fur suffin ter eat. Now 
he wuz very cross, and wanted t' know whar I wuz gwin to, an' 
I tho't I minte ez well tell him all 'bout it, and den he wuz 
right glad, and guv me a letter to bring to ye all, and tole me 



94 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

ter hurry, fur God's sake, or I minte be too late ; an' he sed I 
must n't stop t' eat, coz it would take up de time, an' I musn't 
tell nobody on his place, coz dey wuz all rebels ; and de ladiz, 
dey talked hard to me, and sed dey know'd I wuz runnin' 'way 
to tell sum news, and sed I otter to be hung, and dey would set 
de bloodhounds on me. 

"'But I didn't sed nuffin, but got into my boat and looked 
into my blanket, 'n' my shot-bag and money wuz all gone. 
And I seed one ob de ladiz hold it up an' larf at me. I know'd 
it wudn't be no use t' go back, kaze dey would n't guv it ter me 
if I did, an' I did n't car' ef I cud only git ter you all in time.' 

" After another long pull, about two hours before sunset, 
exhausted and too stiff to stand, Dick came to a ' shell 
bank, and seed free men wid guns,' who helped him out of his 
boat. After rubbing and stretching his cramped legs awhile, 
he says: ' I started wid dem to go 'n' see Cap'n Wyzle. So dey 
tuck me to whar all de little white houses wuz, made of 
cloff. Oh, my golly ! dis nigger never seed so many houses ; 
and den dey tole him dey wuz all full of sol'ers, reel Yankee 
sol'ers. Waal now, good Fader abuv ! ef dat ar don' beat all ! 
Whew ! Ef doze rebels cud see dem tents an' one sol'er in 
ebery one, let 'lone all de res', dey would be so skeered — oh, 
good gracious ! how dey would run ! — dey would frow 'way all 
dere guns and run so fur dey nebber wud stop yit. 

" ' Waal, den dey tuck me by a hul lot ob mo' tents, and dere 
wuz mo' sol'ers too, yes. I seed 'em all, me, I did. Good 
Loddy ! what a swarm ob sol'ers. I went mo 'n free miles 
'mung de tents, an all full ob sol'ers. Waal I declar ! My 
golly ! massa, ef de cullud fokes cud only see all deze sol'ers, 
dey wouldn't stay ter home one mo' night. Dey wud run 'way 
right off. Oh, how wicked my ole massa is ! He tole me you 
all had n't got but few ob men, an' dey shud whip ye all, 'n' 
kech us agin, ef we went 'way, an' den we shud be killed. 
An now, what a lot ob men ! Whew ! whew ! I nebber seed 
de like of all dem peoplez. 

"' Den dey tole me dat wuz Bayou Bosuf, an' Cap'n Wyzle 
wuz at de bay. An' den de cap'n at the Bceuf tole me to git on 



DICK'S STORY. 95 

some kine ob a machine, an' it started ; an' oh, my good Fader 
abuv ! how dat machine did go ! dat race hoss beat all de race 
bosses dat I eber seed ; an' I sat hol'in' on an' lookin' at de 
poles ez dey went by, and whiz ! dey went, an' den I cud n' see 
dem. Den I looked at de houses an' de woods, an' 'pears like 
all ob dem wuz movin' too. Den I looked at de wheels a goin' 
roun' twice ez fast ez lightnin', an' I tell ye, dis nigger tho't de 
king'um ob heben was nigh 'bout to ban'; and den dey guv 
*sech a hollerin' 'n' screamin', I tho't Gabr'l had dun blow his 
horn, sure 'nuff. An' I kep' lookin' at de wheels, an' I sed, 
"Now, Dick, jes' you keep clus' watch ob de wheel, an' ef it 
cums off, do you jump like a cat, or you 'er a gone nigger." 
Yes, indeed, massa, I watch dem clus, kaze I wuz nebber on 
sech a race hoss as dat afo' in all my life, me ; an' in less 'n five 
minits heah she stopped, an' dey tole me ter jump down 'n' see 
de cap'n. An' now is you de reel Cap'n Wyzle .'' ' 

" 'No, Dick,' we said, 'he is Gen. Weitzel.' 

" ' Waal, now, I declar'! ' continued the astonished black 
man, 'ez shure ez you're born, an' I'm tellin' de trufe an' no lie, 
I'm glad ! I tank de Lor' dat he let his 'umble sarvant do sum 
good, 'n' git heah "fo' he fainted clear off ; and bress de good 
Fader abuv dat he s'stain his poor nigger in dat tryin' hour, 
an' d'liber him out ob de han' ob de debble, an' let him cum 
'mung de good peoplez. 

" ' Oh, gemmuns, I c'n tell ye now, all de cullud men, ebb'ry 
one, wants ye to hurry up, an' go frew de hul country. Dey 
is waitin' fur ye, an' in ebb'ry plantation sum ob de niggers is 
alwuz settin' up o' nights t' heah yer fust gun, 'n' be ready ter 
run ter meet ye, an' tew tell ye whar all de tings is at, an' tew 
bring ye all de tings we haz raised on our own little garding 
patches.' 

"The half-starved fugitive had been supplied with soft bread 
and coffee, and eagerly munched away on it while giving vent 
to his astonishment. Presently he began to notice what kind 
of food he was eating, and broke forth, in his comical style : 
'Why, massa, ole Dick haint tasted ob de likes ob dat fur gwin 
on two yeahs now. No, indeed ! All de flour our ole massa 



96 THE EIGHTH lERMONT. 

hez had since de wah begun wuz harf a bar'l, a yeah 'go las' 
Chris'mus. Dey brings flour and t'l^arcy from Texas, 'n' 
coffee ; but it tucks free hogsits ob sugar tew buy one bar'l ob 
flour.' " 



IV. 



BISLAND. 

The stubborn resistance during the battle of the Cotton 
showed the strength of the enemy, and that a large and power- 
ful force guarded the entrance of the Teche country. It was 
well fortified at Bisland or Bethel Place, as it was often called, 
where, beyond a doubt, Gen. Taylor was prepared to make a 
resolute defence of his works. On this point, therefore. Gen. 
Banks decided to concentrate his attack. He arrived on the 
iithof April, to command the expedition in person, bringing 
with him reinforcements from New Orleans. 

Meanwhile Weitzel's brigade had crossed the bay, and, as 
soon as plans were matured and orders received, moved in the 
direction of Pattersonville, the Eighth Vermont, as usual, taking 
the advance. Gen. Grover's division had also been sent by way 
of Grand Lake, to gain a position above Bisland, and thus cut 
off the enemy's retreat ; and when the attack was begun, the 
gun-boats were to co-operate on the water side. 

The advance was begun at noon, and Capt. Button with 
Company H, being deployed as skirmishers, soon found the 
enemy's pickets and drove them in. Occasionally a cannon 
shot would strike the ground in the vicinity of the moving 
lines, and Capt. Bainbridge would return the salute with one of 
his battery guns. But the enemy did not appear in force, and 
at night the troops bivouacked in line of battle, a short distance 
above Pattersonville. 



98 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

There was no disturbance during the night, and on the 
following Sunday morning the march was resumed. The lines 
moved cautiously, and Company K, under Capt. Barstow, being 
deployed as skirmishers, had some sharp encounters with the 
enemy. Until mid-afternoon nothing occurred to interrupt the 
measured tramp of men and horses, and save the rattle of equip- 
ments and the low word of command, there was nothing to 
break the silence of the march. It was a lovely Sunday, and 
the eye of the imaginative soldier was free to wander over the 
slowly changing la<ndscape and take in all its varied beauty. 
The way was flanke«d on either hand by forests of heavy timber, 
whose lively foliage made a striking contrast with the masses of 
gray moss that hung like ghostly raiment from the branches. 
Rich plantations with large hospitable looking mansions divided 
the open country, reminding one of the homes where for gener- 
ations the proud old southern families had dwelt in luxuriant 
ease. Passing close to one of these houses about noon, the 
soldiers discovered that it had just been deserted by the 
inmates, who in their hasty flight had left a nice hot dinner 
smoking on the board. The path of a cannon-shot was traced 
directly across the room where the family had probably assem- 
bled to dine, which offered a plausible reason for their absence. 
So. the boys, thinking it a pity to let a good dinner spoil, fell 
out and took it in. 

At three o'clock the lines moved still more carefully, for they 
were nearing the Confederate works, and the batteries close at 
hand stopped to shell every suspicious point. For a few mo- 
ments a hush seemed to fall upon the air, and it filled every heart 
with apprehension, for the men understood what it meant. 
Then came a sudden belching of smoke at the not far distant 
front, a vivid flash was^seen, a solid shot struck the ground a few 
yards ahead of the regiment, and with a horrible shriek passed 
overhead. This was only a signal, but the next moment the 
entire batteries of the enemy opened with a murderous fire, in 
order to throw the advancing column into confusion. 

It was a trying ordeal for the Green Mountain boys. The 
air was full of deadly missiles of every description, — shells, solid 



STANDING UNDER FIRE. 99 

shot, grape, and even pieces of railroad iron ; and the earth was 
plowed in every direction as the huge projectiles buried them- 
selves in the ground, throwing the dust and dirt over the men. 
Col. Thomas was equal to the occasion. Coolly he rode in 
front of the line, imparting courage to the timid and inspiration 
to all, and cried out : " Steady, men ! Stand firm ! Remember 
old Vermont is looking at you to-day ! We Ve been in the field 
a long while, boys, and this is the first time we have had a 
chance to begin the work we were sent out here to do ! Steady^ 
old Vermont ! " A few moments later, seeing some of the men 
quailing before the iron hail, he called out : " Vermont is looking 
at you ! " when a witty fellow replied: "Hope Vermont won't 
see us in such a scrape again." This raised a laugh along the 
line, and helped, more than the sternest command would have 
done, to keep the boys in countenance. At another point 
where some white faces showed the- need of a little more grit^ 
the colonel passed, just as a shot plowed into the earth and 
then went howling over their heads. " This reminds me of 
sowing marrowfat peas up in old Vermont," said he. His humor 
was magnetic, and the responsive shout seemed to cheer the 
boys wonderfully. 

After the gallant Eighth had been under fire for a short time, 
Capt. Bainbridge came galloping up on their right with his 
battery, he riding alongside the foremost gun, dressed in spick 
and span uniform, and lashing the horses with his rawhide, as 
though life depended on every leap they made. The gun 
wheeled into position, plowing up the earth in its rapid circuit, 
and in a moment the keen-eyed captain was out of his saddle, 
sighting the piece for the first discharge. Quickly each gun 
took position and opened fire upon the rebel works, which could 
then be seen in the distance, and the Eighth Regiment was 
ordered to advance to the front as a support to Bainbridge. 

Compliance with this order subjected the regiment to what 
is doubtless one of the severest tests to which troops are ever 
brought in time of battle. It requires nerve at any time to 
charge under fire and do valiant execution, but action inspires 
the moving lines with courage. It is quite another thing to 



100 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

face, unprotected, the murderous hail, and there stand hour 
after hour, and silently wait ; for there is nothing to blind the 
eyes to danger or sustain the sinking spirit. To such a terrible 
test the brave sons of Ethan Allen proved equal, and, led into 
position by a commander in whom they trusted, they stood like 
a rock till darkness put an end to the battle. Nor was their 
confidence misplaced. Col. Thomas, whose courage knew no 
law but obedience to orders, was a father to all the men whose 
lives he might almost be said to hold in his hand. He felt the 
danger, not for himself, but for them, and to cheer and support 
them through those trying hours, kept at the front alone, 
mounted on his horse, a conspicuous mark for artillerists, and 
encouraged them by his own unflinching bravery. 

Twice during the heavy cannonading Gen. Weitzel sent Lieut. 
Smith of his staff to warn the colonel that he was exposing him- 
self unduly, and begging him to dismount out of regard for his 
own personal safety. The reply of the great-hearted officer was : 
" Col. Thomas sends his compliments to Gen. Weitzel, and begs 
to inform him that he didn't come down here to get off his 
horse for any d — d rebel. " Could any member of the Eighth 
Vermont misunderstand the meaning of their leader, or fail to 
be brave under the eye of such an officer } Presently, while 
scanning the ground in front, the colonel saw a ditch, into which 
he ordered the regiment to advance, and thus gain a partial pro- 
tection from the deadly shots. 

The first man wounded that afternoon was Corporal Wm. W. 
Perry, of lirookline. Acting Quartermaster Howard, who was 
an eye-witness, says : " A shell burst over our heads, and I saw 
a piece of it descend with a queer fluttering sound, and strike 
Perry on the top of the head. He dropped all in a heap, and I 
supposed was killedj but on going to him I found him alive, and 
oot Myron L. Boynton, of Jamaica, and another member of the 
band, to carry him off. He recovered, and still lives in Brook- 
line." 

About the same time Jonathan Durlam, of Company K, had 
his leg shattered below the knee by a piece of shell, and, though 
it was amputated by the surgeons, he died a few weeks later from 



A A'OTE FKOM THE BAND. 10 1 

the effects. He made a great outcry, and Capt, Barstow exam- 
ined him, but could find no blood or scratch upon him, and jok- 
ingly told him he was a lucky man and would be pensioned 
for life. But Durlam continued to groan and appeared to be 
in great agony, so the captain shouted to Maj. Dillingham to 
know where the musicians, and quartermaster, and the stretch- 
ers were. " The men," he said, " were being mowed down, and 
no provision was made for their care," Col. Thomas, who over- 
heard the call, wanted to know what the quartermaster was 
wanted for. Capt. Barstow replied that the army regulations 
said that the musicians, in charge of the quartermaster, should 
carry off the wounded. "That's so," said Maj. Dillingham, 
and a messenger was quickly dispatched to the rear. Soon a 
band man responded, and " a greater exhibition of moving- 
fright I never saw," said the captain. 

" Where is your stretcher.'' " asked Barstow. 

" What 's a stretcher } " asked the trembling tooter. 

" Did n't the surgeon give you any stretcher for bringing off 
the dead ?" asked the officer. 

"I don't know nothing about your stretcher," gasped the 
band man. 

" Never come on to the field again without a stretcher," said 
Col. Thomas sternly, and the man grew paler than ever, and 
stammered out : 

"What do you want of me now.^" 

Finally the captain ordered him to tear some cypress slabs 
from a fence, and showed him how to improvise a litter, on 
which the wounded man was placed, when a "second note of 
the band " arrived on the scene. But it required four men to 
bear away the burden. 

"Who will go back with this man ? " asked Captain Barstow. 

Nearly every man in an adjacent company sprang to his feet 
and signified a hearty willingness to go to the rear. But the 
captain sternly told them that Company K could take care of 
their own wounded. 

As has already been intimated, the fighting continued with 
unabated energy until the gathering darkness compelled a ces- 



I02 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

sation of hostilities, and the troops fell back out of range of the 
enemy's guns, and slept on their arms. 

After the regiment had fallen back an incident occurred that 
is well worth mentioning. The Seventy-fifth New York was 
within supporting distance of the Eighth Vermont, and when 
the troops retired. Adjutant Lansing of that regiment and two 
privates were left wounded on the field. A Confederate surgeon 
with an ambulance and driver came out and picked them up. 
Then the surgeon clambered into the rear of the wagon, and 
was about to start for the enemy's lines with his prisoners, 
when Adjutant Lansing drew a revolver, covered the surgeon 
with it, and ordered the negro to drive to the Federal lines 
instead. 

Early Monday morning the gun-boats opened a heavy fire 
upon the Confederate works, and Capt. Bainbridge, supported 
by the Eighth Vermont, advanced to a position nearer the ene- 
my's line than that occupied the previous day, and resumed the 
cannonading. The regiment in front found themselves within 
reach of the Confederate infantry, and no sooner were they in 
position than a volley of musket balls came whizzing over their 
heads. To protect his men as much as possible, Col. Thomas 
ordered them to lie fiat upon the ground, close behind some 
bushes. It was well that this precaution was taken, for the 
enemy soon aimed so low and fired so fast that their bullets cut 
off the bushes and scattered them among the prostrate men. 
During the entire day the regiment lay on the ground, while 
cannon thundered in front and rear, and projectiles of every de- 
scription went screaming over their heads. Two or three dif- 
ferent times they were ordered to form in line for a charge 
upon the works, but as soon as they were upon their feet 
so deadly a fire was turned upon them that the attempt was 
abandoned. 

After the first excitement had subsided, and the men began 
to get used to their uncomfortable position, those who were 
cool enough to enjoy it found opportunity to make a very inter- 
esting study of projectiles. Lying there on the earth they 



THE REBEL YELL. 103 

could watch on a grand scale the graceful curves described by 
shot and shell in their swift aerial passage, and criticise to their 
hearts' content the display of the gunner's skill. Their ears 
soon learned to distinguish the peculiar sound made by different 
kinds of missiles, and they were enabled to make some approxi- 
mate estimates as to the number of balls that miscarried where 
one did execution. They learned, too, that, even under such 
trying circumstances, a man may base his chances of life on the 
fact that, in a battle, so many balls are wasted that a soldier 
cannot be killed until the enemy has discharged at him a weight 
of lead equal to his own. And better than all else, they learned, 
perhaps, a valuable lesson of obedience and self-control, and 
beheld a new vision of devoted patriotism, as they saw their 
leader sit calmly by them on his horse, watching over them, as 
a tender father might guard his children in an hour of peril. 

One attempt only was made by the enemy to break Gen. 
Weitzel's lines. About three o'clock in the afternoon the 
Union troops were startled by that most hideous of modern war 
cries, known as the " rebel yell. " It sounded from the covert 
of heavy timber on the left, and the officers at once understood 
that "Dick" Taylor was about to charge upon the left flank. 
This was the first time the Vermont boys had heard that fiend- 
ish sound, and it is not too much to say that they were appalled 
by it for a moment, and thought their time had come to be 
"wiped out." But Weitzel, anticipating this attempt, had 
ordered the Twelfth Connecticut and the One Hundred and 
Fourteenth New York to throw their combined force into the 
timber ; and, after a sharp encounter, the rebels who charged 
with a yell, retreated in confusion and precipitate haste to the 
cover of their works. 

During that day's fight there were some artillery shots made 
that deserve special mention. As he was watching the manoeu- 
vres of the enemy. Col. Thomas saw a section of a rebel battery 
moving from the right to the left, and said to Capt, Bainbridge, 
who was remarkably skilful as a gunner : " Captain, can't you 
give 'em a shot,?" "I will try," answered Bainbridge; and 
quickly sighting a piece, he threw a shell with such accuracy 



I04 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

that when it burst, horses, riders, and gun were wiped out of 
view; and, as if to make sure that the shot was fatal, the three 
dead horses were found near that spot when the Union army- 
entered the works on the following day. 

As one means of defence the enemy made use of the gun-boat 
Diana, which they had recently captured from the Union navy. 
It contained a heavy bow-gun, with which they were doing 
great damage. On seeing this, Col. McMillan, of the Twenty- 
first Indiana, which had been converted into heavy artillery, 
sighted one of his pieces with such precision that a thirty-two 
pound shot went crashing through the vessel nearly her entire 
length, and so deranged her machinery that she was disabled, 
and sent up the bayou. 

Considering the exposed position in which the Eighth Regi- 
ment lay for two days, it is remarkable that only one man, 
Adolphus Blanchard, of Company G, was killed, and only a few 
were wounded. William Carley, of Company E, and John W, 
McCauley, of Company F, were among the latter. But several 
officers and privates had very narrow escapes. Col. Thomas 
saw a shot coming towards him, as he was sitting on his horse, 
and it just brushed past his ear. A piece of shell, or a bullet, 
cut off Lieut. Col. Dillingham's collar button, and left a red 
mark on his throat. A young private in Company C, named 
Danforth, was very uneasy while the regiment lay prostrate in 
front of the batteries, and kept jumping up to look at the 
enemy. Several times Col. Thomas ordered him back to his 
place ; but soon he jumped up again, and instantly a cannon 
shot struck the very spot he had just left and buried itself in 
the ground. " Down there, again, as quick as you can ! " 
thundered the stern voice of the colonel. " If you had been 
where you belong, you would have been cut in two. But light- 
ning never strikes twice in the same place, and now you will 
be safe." 

Night came on again without bringing a decided victory to 
either side, and the Union troops bivouacked in line of battle, 
expecting on the following day to resume the artillery fire, or 
charge the works in a general assault. But in the morning it 



FLIGHT OF THE EXEMY. 105 

was discovered that the wily " Dick " Taylor had evacuated 
Bisland with his entire army, and under cover of darkness had 
made good his retreat in the direction of Franklin. 

The plan of Gen. Banks was to have Grover's division cut off 
the enemy's escape ; but, owing to difficulty in landing his 
troops, that officer failed to accomplish his purpose. But one 
course remained, therefore, and, without stopping for morning 
rations to be served. Gen. Weitzel formed his brigade in march- 
ing order, with the Eighth Vermont in advance, and Company 
H, commanded by Capt. Button, as skirmishers, and pursued 
the flying army. Hovering close upon their rear, a number of 
prisoners were taken during the day, and the fugitive army was 
driven beyond Franklin. 

Since the date of the Bisland engagement, the singular fact 
has come to light that Gen. Taylor, utterly ignorant of the 
movements of Gen. Banks, had planned to march his army to 
Brashear City and attack the Union forces, on the very same 
day that Banks opened his guns on Bisland. Consequently, if 
this attack had been postponed even for twenty-four hours, the 
Confederates would have taken the offensive. 

There was more or less skirmishing during the day, chiefly 
by the cavalry, but the troops moved rapidly forward without 
serious resistance. In this way the army followed the enemy 
for several days, marching an average of twenty-five miles each 
day, through a rich, high country in marked contrast with the 
low lands of southern Louisiana, which the men had recently 
abandoned. On reaching Franklin the army rested a few hours, 
and while there " Old Joe," a colored man whom all will recol- 
lect, was seen near some bushes with a musket pointed at 
some concealed object. "Come out dar ! " shouted Old Joe, 
" come out dar, or I '11 fire ! " At his command two Confederate 
soldiers emerged from the covert of bushes, and surrendered 
themselves as prisoners. Then the march was resumed through 
New Iberia and thence to Vermillionville, where the Confed- 
erates made a stand and slight resistance. This caused the brig- 
ade to form in line of battle, and prepare for attack ; but again 
the enemy deemed discretion the better part of valor, and fled. 



I06 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

closely followed by their pursuers ; and the rapid march was 
again resumed till the brigade reached Opelousas on the 20th 
of April. Here they went into camp for a few days to recu- 
perate, and were reviewed by Gen. Banks and staff. The 
quarters here formed a striking contrast with those to which 
the regiment had been previously assigned, and the men exer- 
cised their taste in adorning the camp with evergreen arches, 
and making it attractive. But the officers, who occupied head- 
quarters in the yard of the Mansion House, will not forget the 
hideous matutinal salute of scores of neighborly peacocks that 
roosted in the trees in the vicinity. 

By this vigorous movement the Teche country, which had 
been so long closed to the Union soldiers, was opened, and they 
enjoyed for a while the luxury of "living off the country" that 
abounded in fresh vegetables and good beef and chickens, with 
which the cooks delighted to furnish forth the daily rations. 
And since the Teche is called the garden of Louisiana, the 
reader will pardon a digression, and be pleased to read a quota- 
tion from Gen. "Dick" Taylor's book on the war, wherein he 
writes : " In all my wanderings, and they have been many and 
wide, I cannot recall so fair, so beautiful, so happy a land." 

During the halt at Opelousas, Capt. Craig, of Company G, 
died of disease. He had left a lucrative law practice in Vermont 
to enter the service of his country. As an officer he was a 
thorough disciplinarian, always looking out for the comfort and 
rights of his men. In this campaign he suffered from illness, 
but pluckily kept on with his company through all the hard- 
ships and exposures of the rapid march to this place. But 
nature refused to do more, and, far away from the friends and 
places he loved, he passed away ; and his comrades tenderly 
laid him to rest in the cemetery near the old church in Opelousas. 



ALEXANDRIA. 

After a sojourn of two weeks, the line was again formed, and 
the brigade began to move at three o'clock on the afternoon of 



A ''VERMONT CAVALRY'' RACE. lOJ 

May 5th. Being in good condition, the troops marched all that 
night and the day following, and the second night bivouacked 
in line of battle. Nothing of special interest occurred until the 
armv neared Alexandria. Company C, Capt. Foster, were 
thrown out as skirmishers on the last day of that severe march. 
The weather was hot and the roads extremely dusty, so that 
many of the men fell out by the way from sheer exhaustion, and 
were obliged to get into the ambulances and mule carts that 
had been taken from the plantations ett route. But Gen. Banks 
was anxious to reach Alexandria that evening, and, desiring to 
humor him and create a little excitement, the Seventy-fifth 
New York, which followed next to the Eighth Vermont, chal- 
lenged the latter to a race. " Vermont Cavalry" were quite 
willing to give their neighbors a lesson in endurance, and the 
two regiments started off at a lively rate, the Eighth leading 
with long, quick strides, encouraged by lively music of the 
band, snatches of "John Brown," and other familiar war songs, 
and cheers from the line officers. To further stimulate the 
men, a field officer would occasionally dismount and give some 
tired private rest and a ride in his saddle, and the surgeons 
would allow a faint man a "pull from the dark bottle." 

Gen. Weitzel, deeming it essential to their health that the 
brigade should be served a ration of whiskey on reaching camp, 
ordered his commissary, Fred E. Smith, to go forward to the 
city with the advance, and secure the needed stimulant wher- 
ever he could find it. Accordingly, about nine o'clock in the 
evening Lieut. Smith returned with three barrels of whiskey, 
which he took from a hotel in Alexandria. At this house also 
the quartermaster's party obtained a lunch, in payment for 
which greenbacks were offered. But the landlord refused them, 
and demanded Confederate money ; this demand was not com- 
jDlied with, however, and Lieut. Smith is not sure but he is still 
indebted for his first meal in Alexandria. 

Li this way ended the wearisome march to Alexandria ; and 
when the Eighth Vermont, still leading the brigade, reached 
the outskirts of the city, and turned into a field where they were 
to halt for the night, it was lound that they had covered a dis- 



I08 THE EIGHTH VERMONT 

tance of ninety-one miles. As soon as the line was dismissed 
the men dropped on the ground, and were so much exhausted 
that the usual roll-call was omitted, and they went to sleep 
without any supper. The next day the brigade marched through 
the city, and went into camp in a pleasant grove on the river 
bank, just above the point where the Federal gun-boats lay 
silent in the stream. 

The surprise occasioned by the sudden entry of Union forces 
into Alexandria was something ludicrous. The citizens sup- 
posed that " Dick " Taylor held sole possession of all the ap- 
proaches to the town, and thought indeed that no detested 
Yankees had penetrated within many miles of their peaceful 
abode, or could do so. When, therefore, Weitzel's advance 
cavalry came galloping into the streets, and the Federal gun- 
boats came puffing up the river, the people were filled with 
utter consternation, and everybody who cherished secession 
sentiments, and those who felt that their reputation for loyalty 
was not firmly established, fled in the most precipitous haste. 
Traders deserted their stores, mechanics their shops, and 
citizens generally their houses. It was a genuine scare, and 
one of the most comical evidences of it was found by some 
Union soldiers who entered a newspaper office, from which both 
editor and printers had made a rapid stampede. The compos- 
itors had dropped their partly-filled sticks on the case and fled, 
and one of them which was examined, contained the following 
unfinished paragraph : " News has been received that Bisland 
has been evacuated, and ' Dick ' Taylor is marching towards 
Alexandria. It is evident that Gen. Banks is a very different 
man from " — 

While resting here the camp was startled one morning by 
the report of a gun and a shriek from some one in Company B, 
and it was found that a soldier, while laboring under temporary 
insanity, had fatally shot Wagoner Hill, who died a few hours 
later. The mail that shortly arrived from New Orleans, also 
brought the sad intelligence that Capt. J. S. Clark, of Com- 
pany K, had died in the hospital. 

A meeting of the officers of the Eighth Vermont was called 



MEMORIAL TRIBUTES. IO9 

in consequence of this death, and organized with Capt. 
Edward Hall, chairman, and Lieut. George N. Carpenter, sec- 
retary. Capt. H. F. Button, Capt. J. L. Barstow, and Lieut. 
J. B. Mead, were chosen a committee to report resolutions of 
sorrow for the death of Capt. Craig and Capt, Clark, and to 
tender the condolence and sympathy of the regiment to the 
bereaved families of the late officers. 

It is due to the memory of Capt. Clark to record that his 
death was felt to be a great loss to his regiment and company. 
He was a thorough gentleman of quiet disposition, who had 
been led to enter the service by a high sense of patriotism and 
duty. During his limited experience in the field he had ex- 
hibited a coolness and bravery that won admiration and gave 
promise of a brilliant military career, and he was sincerely 
mourned by his brother officers. 

Learning that this history was to be written, Mr. John C. 
Clark, of St. Johnsbury, Vt., son of Capt. J. S. Clark, trans- 
mitted to the committee of publication a letter from Col. Y . H. 
Hatch to his mother, a copy of which is printed below. Con- 
cerning the writer, Mr. Clark says : " Col. Hatch was a thorough 
gentleman and a conscientious Christian, and one, doubtless, 

who took the stand he did from the purest motives 

Years after the close of the war it transpired that Col. Hatch 
was a native of our state, -having been born at Reading, in Wind- 
sor county, within a stone's throw of my mother's childhood 
home. He went South when thirteen years old, and was em- 
ployed as a stable-boy in New Orleans. When the war broke 
out he was collector of the port of New Orleans, and one of the 

worthiest men of that city I inclose also a copy of the 

record in the Bible mentioned by Col. Hatch." 

The reader will recall the fact that Mrs. Hatch, whose sad fate 

is alluded to in her husband's letter, is the same lady who 

assisted Mrs. Sparks in taking care of Capt. S. E. Howard, when 

he lay sick at Company Canal. The record referred to reads 

thus : 

Refuge, New Orleans, Marcli 22, 1.S63. 

Dark Days. .Seven j'ears ago to-da}- this precious book was given me 
by my friend J. R. J., Magnolia, La. 



no THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Yesterday, March 21, my friend Capt. J. S. Clark was buried in our 
vault in Girod Cemetery, N. O. One of the bravest^ noblest, and best oi 
men. May our last end be like his. 

Refuge, opposite New Orleans, June 3d, 1866. 
Mrs. J. S. Clark : 

Madam : In overhauling and adjusting my library, which was restored 
to me in a scattered and confused condition, I found the accompanying 
Bible, containing a record of the death and entombment of Capt. Clark, 
and a feeling tribute to his memory. 

It was presented to Mrs. Hatch some years since by a Mr. J. R. 
Jackson, a planter of this state, and a pious and worthy friend, and I send 
it to you with the presentation memorandum inclosed, precisely as I found 
it, thinking it would be a pleasing memento of the worth and excellence of 
your late husband, calculated to inspire in the minds of his children a rev- 
erence for his character, and to stimulate an emulation of his virtues. 

It will perhaps be the more prized as emanating from one who stood 
in a relatively antagonistic position to him, and who lost her own life by a 
sincere devotion to a cause opposed to that in which Capt. Clark was as 
honestly engaged ; and it is a sad commentary on the evils of civil strife to 
reflect that she, whose ear was never deaf to the calls of affection, and 
whose hand was ever ready to do the biddings of her benevolent nature 
toward friend or foe, in the hour of distress, should have been rudely 
thrust, in a state of extreme debility, from that home from which she had 
so freely dispensed those ministrations of mercy. This act of cruelty, at 
the very close of the war, cost her her reason and her life. 

We can therefore mutually deprecate those evils which have bereft us 
of half the joy and solace of our earthly life, and cast a lasting shadow 
over the remnant which remains to us. 

Now that Mrs. Hatch has deceased, in order that your mind may be 
at perfect ease in relation to the remains of Capt. Clark, I will add, that I 
had purchased a tomb for her in another cemetery near to my present resi- 
dence, and that that in which Capt. Clark was entombed, will remain 
undisturbed, without any inconvenience or embarrassment to myself. 

Hoping the memento will be acceptable, I am, madam. 

Very i^espectfully, your obedient servant, 
F. H. Hatch. 

In a few days it was reported that Gen. Taylor still had a 
considerable force with him beyond Alexandria, and Gen. 
Banks ordered Weitzel's division to move on his track May 
iith ; but, after marching about thirty-five miles into the pine 
woods, it was found that the enemy was retreating so rapidly 



ON TO PORT HUDSOX. Ill 

that it would be impossible to overtake them, and the brigade 
returned into camp two days later. 

The campaign had resulted in scattering Taylor's forces, and 
so far demoralizing" them that it was several weeks before he 
could collect them again, while the enemy had been reduced 
by the capture of over two thousand prisoners, twenty-two 
cannon, and two steamers, and the destruction of eight Con- 
federate gun-boats and steamers. 

The army remained at Alexandria until the 17th instant, 
when it again started on the march, and reached Simsport on 
the 24th. There the sick were transferred to boats, to be taken 
to New Orleans, and the men were relieved of all superflu- 
ous baggage, preparatory to the work awaiting them. And at 
length the news came that it was to go to Port Hudson, and 
unite with the forces at Baton Rouge in the reduction of 
that stronghold. 



V 



PORT HUDSON. 

At Simsport Gen. Weitzel's brigade was taken on transports 
and conveyed by way of the Atchafalaya and Red rivers to 
Bayou Sara on the Mississippi, while Quartermaster Smith went 
by land with the trains. The troops landed about midnight of 
May 25th, and at two o'clock next morning set out for the des- 
tined scene of their next operations, about five miles down the 
river. Nor was the movement begun a moment too soon, for 
while on the way, word was brought to hurry forward with all 
speed, for it was feared that the Confederate garrison might 
attempt to evacuate the place and escape. So, quickening their 
march, the troops soon went into position in line of battle, on 
the right, near Foster creek. 

The ultimate object of the well-planned campaign undertaken 
by Maj. Gen. Banks was the removal of impediments and open- 
ing the Mississippi for the safe passage of Union vessels. 
These operations began with the crossing of Berwick bay on 
the 9th of April, and were to culminate in the reduction of 
Port Hudson. To accomplish this end he was to co-operate 
with Gen. Grant, who at the same time was slowly advancing 
on Vicksburg. 

It is not necessary here to go into the details of the prelimi- 
nary steps in this plan, or to ask why Gen. Banks delayed so 
long decisive action. It is enough to remind the reader that 
Gen. "Dick" Taylor had a strong force in the Teche ready to 
fall upon New Orleans, if the troops that held it were with- 



THE FORTIFICATIONS. I13 

drawn for service higher up the river. So many troops were, 
therefore, required to hold what had ah'eady been gained, that 
Banks was unable to invest Port Hudson with an adequate 
army, until he should first scatter Taylor's forces, or drive 
them so far into the interior that New Orleans would be safe 
from immediate capture. So far as the Eighth Vermont were 
concerned, their experience since leaving Algiers had been of 
great practical advantage in preparing them for the work 
before them ; for they had acquired valuable discipline, and the 
successes they had achieved inspired them with courage and 
faith, so that they joined in that important conflict confident of 
victory. 

The situation of Port Hudson was favorable for defensive 
action both by land and by water. It occupied the summit of 
a cliff on the east bank of the Mississippi, forming almost a 
semi-circle about a bend in the river. Long stretches of 
broken ground, with hills, woods, and ravines, made it difficult 
of access from the surrounding country. During an interval 
of several months the enemy had constructed around the place 
a series of works of remarkable strength. A heavy, well- 
mounted battery commanded the bluff on the water side, at an 
elevation of about eighty feet above the river. A continuous 
line of parapet with an abatis encircled the place, from Ross's 
Landing, about a mile below the fort, to the water's edge on 
the northern side. Every adjacent hill was a redoubt. Heavy 
artillery raked the ravines and open spaces. Bristling guns 
covered all approaches. The outworks were well planned to 
delay an attacking army and impede progress ; and when the 
forces of Gen. Banks went into position on the twenty-sixth, 
the commanding officers knew that a severe struggle must take 
place before the Union flag would float above the garrison. 

In the investment of this stronghold Gen. Weitzel's division 
occupied the right. Generals Augur and Grover the centre, and 
Gen. T. W. Sherman the left, while Farragut's fleet engaged 
the batteries in the river. The plan was fully outlined to the 
commanders of brigades, regiments, and batteries, the night 
before the assault began, and Gen. Banks ordered the attack to 
8 



114 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

open simultaneously all along the lines. In the engagement 
Col. Thomas commanded Weitzel's brigade, consisting of the 
Eighth Vermont, Twelfth Connecticut, and the One Hundred 
and Fourteenth and One Hundred and Sixtieth New York ; 
while Lieut. Col, Dillingham commanded his regiment. It was 
also of special advantage that these troops had served together 
for a long time under Col. Thomas, and had confidence in 
each other as well as in their leader. 

THE FIRST ASSAULT. 

In accordance with orders, the fleet in the river opened with 
cheir guns on the morning of the 27th of May, and rained shot 
and shell upon the garrison ; the land batteries began firing 
with great spirit and determination ; and the ground fairly 
shook, while the air echoed with the noise of battle. Weitzel's 
division at once moved into action, and at the onset Thomas's 
brigade was the third line of battle. The iirst line advanced 
and found the enemy as soon as they entered the woods, and 
the musketry fire became heavy and incessant. Progress was 
slow, owing to the obstructions in the way, and, being com- 
pletely exposed to a raking fire, the men in the foremost lines 
fell rapidly ; and while trying to force the enemy from the outer 
positions they were so badly broken that Gen. Weitzel ordered 
Thomas to charge with his brigade. His men responded 
nobly, led by the gallant colonel on foot, for orders had been 
given to the field and staff officers to leave their horses in the 
rear. In a few moments they passed the broken lines of the 
other brigades, fell upon the enemy with a rush, drove them 
from their position, captured many of them, and hurried the 
rest from point to point, until they were sent back in disorder 
behind their main fortifications. 

When Col. Thomas halted his line after his brilliant sally, 
they found themselves within fifty or seventy-five yards of the 
main earthworks, and exposed to a murderous fire which the 
Confederates instantly opened upon them. To remain there or 
attempt to scale the works was wholesale butchery, and, not 



'■ „ o I'S' -^ R 




A BRAVE ASSAULT. II5 

having orders to thus sacrifice his men, Thomas fell back to 
the cover of a ravine, and reported to Gen. Weitzel what he 
had done. Word came back to hold his position if possible ; 
and, had the plan of attack been strictly followed throughout 
the lines, it is believed that Col. Thomas might have advanced 
again, and Port Hudson would have fallen that day. But the 
attack in the centre and on the left was not begun in earnest 
until the afternoon, and the enemy, seeing that the charge on 
the right had failed, were able to throw their entire force 
against Sherman and Augur. In this brave attack the forces 
of Gen. Weitzel lost heavily, and, when the lack of co-operation 
became apparent, it is said that he sent word to Gen. Banks 
that he had "yet to learn that any other general had co-operated 
in the assault, which was ordered to be simultaneous." Be that 
as it may, nothing can detract from the credit due Col. Thomas 
and his gallant brigade on that eventful day ; and let it be 
recorded that they took up and sustained the charge at a crit- 
ical moment, led by the colonel in front of his troops. Among 
his losses were numbered two valuable staff officers : Capt. 
Hubbard, assistant adjutant general, and Lieut. Wrotnouski, 
were killed during the halt under the main earthworks. Both 
were held in high esteem by their fellow officers and the men 
under their immediate commands. 

The total loss throughout the lines on May 27th, in killed, 
wounded, and missing, was nearly two thousand men. 
Thomas's brigade suffered considerably, and the Eighth Ver- 
mont lost eighty-eight, including the wounded and killed. 
Those killed were : in Company A, Joseph O. Kimball, Zolvey 
Sargeant ; in Company C, David N. George ; in Company D, 
Henry Butterfield, Jr. ; in Company E, George E. Wedgewood ; 
in Company F, Edward Ducharme, Peter Henchey ; in Com- 
pany G, George W. Battles, Dennis Ryan ; in Company H, 
Charles Bartlett, Wilbur F. Bowker. June nth, Porter J. 
Whitney, Company I. 

A great amount of time and labor have been expended to 
make the list of wounded on this date and the 14th of June as 
complete as possible, but after consulting every available source 



Il6 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

of information both lists are but partially filled. So far as 
obtained the names are : Col. Stephen Thomas, scalp wound on 
left temple ; in Company A, Wm. W. Kinsley, Moses Larue, 
John B. Chaycr, C. W. l)oynton ; in Company B, Corp. H, H. 
Holt, T. W. Page ; in Company C, Capt. H. E, Foster, H. K. 
Page, J. Colcott, C. Collins, H. G. Perigo, C. A. Newman, A. 
J. Keith, H. W. Prisby (whose hurt proved fatal) ; in Com- 
pany D, Sergt. Nathaniel Robie, Mason B. Jenkins, Asa S. 
Emery ; in Company E, F. Y. Snow, George Maxham, Julius 
TvIcMurphy ; in Company G, Lieut. James Welch, Lyman B. 
Evans, Paschal Bissonett, Daniel W. Eaton, Chas. W. Battles ; 
in Company H, Sergt. W. H. Smith, Geo. R. Harrington, 
Cyrus M. White, Amos L. Jenkins, Samuel S. Childs, James 
Frascovia ; in Company I, Geo. J. Bishop, Henry G. Baldwin; 
in Company K, D. D. Fairbanks, W. H. Silsby, Charles 
Drown. May 29th, Con Carmody, Company G, was wounded, 
and died in consequence July 23d ; June r2th, Lewis Amel, 
Company E, and Eben Pond, Company K. 

After the death of Capt. Hubbard, Capt. John L. Barstow, 
of Company K, was detailed as acting adjutant general of the 
brigade. 

June 5th, David C. Bell, of Company G, was discharged to 
accept a position as contract surgeon. 

To fully appreciate the splendid behavior of the Vermont 
troops in this first assault on Port Hudson, it must not be for- 
gotten that the failure of the other generals to join promptly in 
the attack left the enemy free to concentrate all their fire upon 
Weitzel. But into this storm of death Col. Thomas did not 
send his men alone — he led them as was his wont, and 
exposed his own person where the shots were thickest. His 
words of encouragement sounded in their ears as the\' paused 
under the very walls of the stronghold after the fearful charge 
was made ; and still keeping in their front, Thomas gave the 
notable order for every man to cease promiscuous firing, and 
act as a sharpshooter. 

Before the order was given to charge a singular incident oc- 




Capt. Henry E. Foster, Co. C, 



/A" THE TRENCHES. WJ 

curred. Charles E. Hardy and Levi Skinner, of Company C, 
saw two rebel soldiers about a hundred yards away, in the act 
of loading their muskets. Taking deliberate aim, the Ver- 
mont boys fired upon them, and a few moments later saw them 
lying dead as the lines swept on to the attack. 

After the failure of the first charge. Gen. Banks abandoned 
for a time any further attempt to carry the enemy's works by 
assault, and set about the preparations for a protracted siege. 
On the night of the battle he ordered the troops to throw up 
entrenchments, and hold their positions at all hazards. 

On the following day there was an armistice of a few hours, 
in order that the dead might be buried and the wounded cared 
for; then the white flags were pulled down, and the warning 
sound of bullets announced the resumption of hostilities. 

For several days the troops were occupied in strengthening 
the lines, mounting guns, selecting sharpshooters, and making 
all as secure as possible within the trenches. Meanwhile a 
brisk fire of musketry and the boom of cannons was incessant 
along the lines, and the "heated guns " of the enemy "belched 
forth their thunder." Shells went screaming overhead and 
crashed through the trees, or fell among the cooks' and quarter-, 
masters' trains in the rear. The midnight darkness was illu- 
mined by the fiery missiles projected from the mortars, and 
occasionally, as they set fire to some building within the strong- 
hold, a quick blaze would cast its lurid glare upon the parapets ; 
and the rebels never tired of discharging a huge cannon which 
the boys named " old demoralizer," in order to prevent the 
besiegers from getting needful rest. 

The service required in the trenches was very exacting, and 
one half the regiment was on duty while the other rested on 
their arms, ready in turn to relieve their comrades, or to spring 
into line at any sudden word of command. The natural result 
of this arduous, irregular life, the privation and exposure, the 
strain of constant watching, was that large numbers of the 
men fell sick and were unfit for duty ; so that the service bore 
more and more heavily on those who could endure it. But the 
force was so small, considering the number of miles to be 



I 1 8 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

guarded and held by the Hnes, that no available man could be 
spared, and a soldier must be pretty badly off before he could 
be sent to the temporary hospital which Surgeon Gillett had 
opened. 

Another source of constant depletion of the Federal forces 
was the vigilant work of the enemy's sharpshooters, and every 
day brave men were wounded by these well-aimed rifle balls, 
and many were killed. On this account it was necessary to 
exercise extreme caution every moment, lest some unguarded 
movement should expose the person to this deadly fire. Not a 
hat or a hand could be raised above the earthworks without 
drawing a shower of bullets, and woe to the poor man who was 
so imprudent or careless as to venture beyond the close C9ver 
of the trenches. But sharpshooting is a game that both sides 
may play at, and, if the investing army lost many brave fellows 
by this means, Banks's keen shots failed of their inten- 
tions if they did not pick off a Johnny for every Union man 
who fell. In time this death-dealing practice became a nice 
exercise of skill, and many a Yankee trick was resorted to for 
discovering the position of an enemy on whom an expert sharp- 
shooter desired to draw a bead. One method was to cautiously 
raise a hat above the trenches on the point of a bayonet, when 
a Confederate would fire at it, and receive a return shot aimed 
at his puff of smoke. 

Besides the danger from missiles and disease, there were 
manifold discomforts of minor importance, which in the aggre- 
gate added greatly to the constant discomfort of the daily life 
of a besieging army. Conveniences were not to be thought of 
at such a time ; no good sleep was possible ; food was poorly 
cooked and irregularly served ; cleanliness was out of the ques- 
tion for lack of water in which to bathe ; and changes of rai- 
ment were not as frequent as a well-bred man might desire. 
Heat was intense, filth abounded, and worse than all other 
annoyances combined were the parasitic pests that swarmed in 
every quarter, and disputed every inch of crawling room in 
order to maintain the closest possible fellowship with all the 
men. 



HOW THEY L/J'ED. 119 

The brigade headquarters were only about one hundred and 
fifty yards from the Confederate works, and in close proximity 
thereto were the headquarters of Lieut. Col. Dillingham ; and 
these had to be shifted from place to place in order to avoid the 
murderous fire of sharpshooters. Capt. Barstow, whose duties 
included. a large amount of writing, had for his portable desk a 
bread-box, and the same ///convenience served also as a dining 
table. Nor were the officers exempt from the dangers and 
hardships suffered by their men. One day Col. Dillingham 
obtained a small tent to use as a shelter from the intense sun- 
light, but as soon as it was raised a cannon ball carried away 
the top. As Capt. Barstow's servant stretched forth his arm 
to pass his master a cup of coffee, it was shattered by a bullet, 
and the captain lost his drink. 

To those who have never had an experience of army life in 
trenches, the subjoined extracts from a letter written by Quar- 
termaster F. E. Smith during the siege, and dated, " Before 
Port Hudson, June 27, 1863," will be an interesting revelation. 

" Our officers and men lie quietly down day and night, week after week, 
with hundreds of rifle balls whistling within a few feet, often a few inches, 
of their heads. And when from necessity they must leave their posts, 
they have to crawl behind logs and through ditches and ravines to get to 
the woods in the rear. Perhaps on the way they must cross a knoll or a 
ridge of land, when — whist ! whist! whiz-z-z ! go a half dozen bullets from 
sharpshooters, who are constantly watching every such exposed place. 
You have heard of the boy who got scared in the graveyard, and did not 
know what frightened him, but thought it was a "fraid ' ; well, I saw the 
same thing the first time I had occasion to cross those [exposed] places ; 
and now when I think of going to the front, I imagine I can see a ''fraid,' 
and conclude not to try it, unless for some very urgent reason. I have 
heard a great deal about men being brave and not afraid of any danger. I 
have seen many truly brave men, men who can do and dare anything, if it 
be in the line of their duty. But they say to the inexperienced : ' Don't be 
idling or fooling around the front, unless you have business there ; for it is 
no credit to you and does the army no good for you to be shot when away 
from your post. Let every man do his business and go where he is 
ordered; for the real test of a man's bravery is whether he will do his 
duty wherever it lies.' .... 



I20 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

" I often wonder whether our friends at home have a realizing sense of 
the situation of affairs here in camp. I hardly think they do — in fact, I 
am sure they cannot. Let me tell you. The men of this command have 
been confined for more than a month to the ditches, in which they live, 
sleep, eat, and fight. In front are enbankments of their own building, on 
the top of which are sand-bags and logs, forming loop-holes, through which 
they watch the enemy, and shoot at the sight of anything that moves. 
They are in many places within twenty rods of the earthworks behind 
which lie the enemy, keeping as close watch of us as we do of them. 

"A continued roar of musketry is kept up on both sides, while the bul- 
lets clip the leaves and branches overhead almost constantly. Along a 
large part of the line the men are obliged to approach the trenches crawl- 
ing on their hands and knees. Here too, they sleep, if they sleep at all, 
in such an inclined position that morning finds them several feet lower 
down the bank than when they laid down. If the night be ever so rainy, 
all they can do is to lie or stand and take it. When the ground gets very 
slippery, so that they slide too much, they must drive some stakes to brace 
their feet against. Many of the men have dug holes in the bank large 
enough to admit their bodies, so that they literally live in caves of the earth. 
" The cooking has to be done half or three quarters of a mile in the 
rear, out of range of the guns, and the food is carried in by cooks and 
negroes. 

" You can readily imagine that the men are of necessity very dirty and 
ragged, for their clothes soon get terribly filthy, or wear out. So much is 
their appearance altered that you would recognize but few of the men or 
officers of the old Eighth. Occasionally a few^ get out and stretch their 
legs and get washed, and those who are fortunate enough to possess a 
change of shirt put on a clean one. But as a rule the poor boys are un- 
shaven, their hair is long and frequently uncombed for a week or more ; 
and, if a close inspection were made, it might surprise their wives or moth- 
ers to find vermin living on their heads and bodies. 

"Their food is, of course, very plain and very poor. The water they get 
is very bad even for this country, and the best they are able to procure 
would be thought unfit for cattle in Vermont. Think then of living in such 
a place week after week, with the burning southern sun pouring down upon 
you, while a hundred pieces of artillery boom around you night and day, 
not to mention the bursting of rebel shells in your very bedroom, and the 
reports of ten thousand muskets to lull you to sleep. What say you to 
this? How would you like it? Still, this is the actual state of things, only 

a deep shade too faintly pictured 

" Many amusing dialogues occur between the pickets on either side, who 
are often near enough to hold conversation. A ' reb ' sings out: 'Hello, 
Yank ! Seen anything of " Yellow Jack " yet ? He 11 give you a call soon, 
over there in the swamps.' 



A /^ECOjVA-O/SSAA-CE. 121 

" ' No, I have n't seen "Yellow Jack,"' but I've seen "Yellow Jane," and 
she calls every day or two. I say, Johnny, what do you have to eat ? 
Have you any whiskey? Give us a drink,' replies the picket in blue. 

"'Oh, plenty to eat and plenty to drink. I'll give you a quart of 
whiskey for a pound of coffee. What ye say, Yank ?' 

" ' You desert and come out,' answers Yankee ; ' I '11 give you all the 
coffee you want.' 

" ' Don't see it," says Johnny. ' I 'd be a great fool to surrender now, 
for Johnston will be here in three or four days with twenty thousand men. 
Then we '11 have you, coffee and all.' 

" 'Do n't count your chickens before they are hatched, Johnny. You '11 
get mighty dry before you get coffee that way. " There 's many a slip 'twixt 
cup and lip." ' . . . . 

"The otilicers and men of your acquaintance, that are left, are all well, I 
believe. Col. Thomas is an old hero. Lieut. Col. Dillingham is O. K., and 
as good as the best." 

After two weeks had been spent in digging and fortifying, 
Gen. Banks ordered a night reconnoissance on the loth of June, 
in order, by drawing the enemy's fire, to locate the position of 
their artillery, and also to give the officers a chance to advance 
the lines, and thereby lessen the exposed ground in front of the 
works, across which the troops must charge under a galling fire 
in the next assault. The night was warm, cloiidy, and dark, 
and about midnight the order was given to fall into line, while 
the skirmishers went over the breastworks and waited for the 
signal to move. It took considerable time to prepare for action, 
so that the advance was not begun until about three o'clock 
in the morning. Then the skirmishers marched cautiously 
forward, but were quickly detected by the enemy, and a heavy 
fire of musketry was opened upon them. The men endured 
this leaden hail for a while, when a sudden thunder-storm burst 
over the scene, and for a brief hour the firing gave way before 
the torrents of a grateful and less destructive rain. 

When the storm-cloud had passed hostilities were resumed, 
and the skirmishers met with heavy losses as they moved on 
in execution of their commands. But the chief object of the 
reconnoissance was not accomplished, because the enemy, appar- 
ently comprehending the manoeuvre, did not use their cannon ; 
and just before daybreak the troops were recalled. 



122 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

It was a night of fruitless endeavor and sad experiences. 
Capt. Barstow, then acting adjutant general, being the only 
staff officer at hand, was sent with a message to the commander 
of the skirmishers belonging to Col. Thomas's brigade. On his 
return, being scarcely able to see his way, while groping along 
a ravine, he suddenly fell over a man lying on the ground appar- 
ently in great distress. "What are you doing here.''" asked 
the captain, but the only reply was a faint moan. The question 
was repeated, but the man gave no other answer than repeated 
moans. Capt. Barstow then touched the prostrate form with 
his foot, when the man seized one of his hands and conveyed 
it to his own throat. In this way he made the ofificer aware 
that he had been shot in the neck and could not speak. Capt. 
Barstow told him to keep up courage, and promised to send 
men to his assistance from headquarters ; and when the poor 
fellow was brought in he proved to be a member of the cap- 
tain's own company. 

After sunrise there was another armistice, to enable the dead 
and wounded to be removed from the open ground between the 
works ; and then orders came to be ready in two days to make a 
second grand assault on the main works of the enemy. 

During the forenoon of the thirteenth instant there was a 
furious bombardment all along the investing lines, to which the 
enemy vigorously responded. Several Confederate guns were 
dismounted before the engagement ceased, and when the fire 
began to lull Gen. Banks sent a flag of truce to Gen. Frank 
Gardner, commander of the garrison, demanding its surrender, 
which was refused. 

This being a preliminary movement, the firing was not 
resumed, and quiet reigned for the rest of the day, broken 
only by the occasional discharge of a sharpshooter's weapon. 
But it was the hush that precedes the storm, the pause in which 
the champion gathers for a terrible struggle ; and to many an 
anxious soldier it was the calmness that heralds death. 



A SUNDAY FIGHT. 1 23 



THE SECOND ASSAULT. 

The next day was Sunday. But the soldier at the front 
knows no Sabbath, and Gen. ]^anks issued orders on that 
morning, which so many were wont to associate with peaceful 
and hallowed thoughts, that the army should make another 
attempt to carry the works by general assault. 

At that time Col. Thomas lay very ill in the hospital, and Col. 
Smith, of the One Hundred and Fourteenth New York, took his 
place as commander of his brigade. Capt. Barstow was adju- 
tant general, and Lieut. Col. Dillingham led the Eighth Ver- 
mont. The order was, that, on going into action, the brigade 
column should consist of two regiments of skirmishers, followed 
by one regiment with hand grenades, the next with cotton-bags 
with which to fill the ditch before the breastworks ; and 
three regiments vvere to bring up the rear as an assaulting 
party. The Eighth Vermont was assigned to lead the assault- 
ing column. 

About one o'clock on the morning of the 14th the troops 
were served with coffee and light rations, and two hours later 
the lines were formed, and the skirmishers advanced over the 
earthworks and reached the open spaces in front of the para- 
pets before the east began to redden with the dawn. 

The Confederates were on the alert, and the movement did 
not escape their notice, so that the lines had scarcely cleared 
their trenches, when they were assailed by a murderous fire 
from the garrison. The air was filled with flying minies and 
grape, that sped athwart the open ground on their errand of 
death, and seemed to find out every covert and penetrate every 
avenue of approach. So terrible and deadly was this fire that 
the cotton-bag and hand grenade regiments could not proceed, 
and failed to execute their commands, and all seemed about 
to be driven back in hopeless confusion. At this critical mo- 
ment the Eighth Vermont was ordered to move to the charge 
by the flank through a ravine. Steadily it passed into position, 
and rested its rie:ht on the brow of a hill over which it must 



124 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

advance. With difficulty the lines moved over and passed the 
men with cotton-bags, who stood huddled together, a ready 
mark for the enemy's guns. "Forward, Eighth Vermont!" 
shouted Adjt. Spalding from the head of the column ; and fell 
dead. The men obeyed, and instantly the line was in motion. 
But in less than five minutes sixty noble Green Mountain boys 
dropped dead or wounded, and it was impossible to advance in 
the teeth of such a hurricane of shot and shell. Ag:ain and 
again did these brave fellows face the terrible fire ; but advance 
was instant death, and a shudder of horror ran through the 
stoutest hearts at sight of the bloody sacrifice. They fell back 
under cover of the nearest ravine, reformed the column, and 
tried to move around the hill. But Col. Smith was disabled by 
a mortal wound, and the command passed to Lieut. Van Pat- 
ten, of the One Hundred and Sixtieth New York, who ordered 
a second charge. Some went around the hill and reached the 
ditch, while a few touched the breastworks. But the ground 
over which they dashed was strewn with dead and wounded • 
all that human effort could do the brave men had done ; and as 
the first ruddy dawn mocked the bloody ground on which 
their slain comrades lay, all that were left alive retreated to 
the trenches as best they could. Some who had reached posi- 
tions under the enemy's parapets could not get back, and were 
obliged to protect themselves by hugging the walls or crouching 
behind cotton-bags and stumps of trees. 

All that hot June Sabbath day the men lay there in plain 
sight — the dead, the wounded, the unhurt, together, but no 
help could reach them, for the enemy's gunners were unusually 
active, and woe to the man who showed signs of life on the 
field, and the pitying comrade who ventured forth on a mission 
of relief. The least movement drew the fire of a score of 
sharpshooters. Many who lay wounded before the works were 
killed daring the day; and several brave men who set out to 
carry relief to their fallen mates were ruthlessly shot. 

The Confederates were jubilant over this successful repulse 
of the investing army. The strains of victory were sounded 
forth by drum and trumpet, while a chorus of exultant Johnnies 



COUNTING THE LOST. 1 25 

filled the air with "Bonny Blue Flag," and other " secesh " 
songs. 

Far different was it in the silent trenches, where the defeated 
soldiers counted up their losses and talked in low, sad tones of 
the bloody experience of the morning. 

The killed and wounded belonging to the Eighth Regiment 
were estimated to be ninety-six. The names of the killed were : 
In Company B, Lieut. Stephen F. Spalding, Horace D. Ban- 
croft, George W. Brown, Jason C. Farewell, Wm. S. Lee ; in 
Company C, Loren F. Kelley, Wm. T. Pettee ; in Company D, 
Henry J. Thompson ; in Company E, Corporal Ira Barrett, 
Wm. Jones (missing since that date); in Company G, Corporals 
Henry Coles and Joseph Becotte, George Kendall, Solon Parker, 
Wm. Johnston ; in Company H, Henry W. Crocker ; in Com- 
pany I, Sergeant Edward R. Pratt, Henry C. Blashfield. 

Wagoner Wesley H. Day, of Company K, and Jason Drury 
and James W. Howard, of Company E, afterwards died of 
wounds received in this fight. 

The wounded, as far as ascertained, were, in Company A, 
Jephaniah Carpenter ; in Company B, Orderly Sergt. John 
Bisbee, Sergt. W. H. Spencer, Sergt. George Collier, Cor- 
poral C. P. Church, C. S. Barrett, John R. Dawson, Joseph 
Baraby, W. H. Henry, John Fox, John B. Tucker, Alfred 
Wells, Charles Wheeler ; in Company C, Sergt. J. A. Ripley, 
Charles E. Hardy, A. Montrett, J. S. Bailey, R. W. Williams, 
H. A. Crane, C. E. Dunton, Martin Rosebush, L. Swinger, 
George H. Haselton, Levi W. Skinner, J. L. Pettee; in Com- 
pany E, Lieut. A. J. Sargent, Capt. Edward Hall ; in Company 
F, Corporals Ezra E. Janes and Chas. A. McCluskey ; in Com- 
pany G, Lieut. John M. Pike, Corporal D. C. Woodbury, Francis 
S. Hull, Louis Hoezle, John Sullivan, Langdon Kemp, Fabin 
Dupias, John Davis; in Company H, Sergt, George M. Allard, 
A, O. Evans ; in Company I, Sergt. A. H. Ward, W. W. Saw- 
yer, Timothy Sullivan, Oscar B. Hescock ; in Company K, 
Sergt. Perry Porter, Jr., P, P. Shores, John E. Woodsum, June 
24th, James W, Howard, Charles E. L. Hills, Jason Drury, 
Thomas Y . Ferrin, Company E. June 28th, Jacob Mills, Jr., 



126 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Company D. July 3d, Lorenzo Robbins, Company D. June 
25th, Edward White, Company D, died from wounds received 
on the 14th. 

In this connection may properly be mentioned the following 
privates, who were killed during the month of June, on the 
dates indicated. George Renfrew, Company D, 3d ; Felix 
Marchand, Company C, 17th; Langdon Kemp, Company G, 
19th ; Samuel O. Horn, Company B, 20th. 

Lieut. Pike, of Company G, and Sergt. Spencer, of Company 
B, were severely wounded in this assault ; but the latter, on get- 
ting back within the lines, pluckily remarked : " I 'm wounded ; 
but d — n them, I '11 live to whip them yet ! " Sergt. Perry Por- 
ter, Jr., of Company K, was wounded early in the charge, lay all 
day on the field, and was brought in at night. After he was 
down, seeing so many of his brave regiment falling around him, 
he was roused to try what a crippled man could do to help them, 
and crawling up behind a stump he raised his gun to fire, when 
a piece of shell struck and doubled it back upon itself, and 
threw him several feet away. 

The death of Lieut. Stephen F. Spalding was deeply felt by 
his command and associate officers, for he was much beloved as 
a friend, and highly esteemed for ability and military skill. He 
was born in Montpelier, Vt., June 25, 1840, was graduated from 
the University of Vermont, and at the breaking out of the 
Rebellion was a law student in New York city. In less than 
six hours after the assault on Fort Sumter, he was on his way 
to" Washington as a volunteer in the Seventh New York Regi- 
ment, and served with them three months. When his term of 
enlistment expired he returned to New York, where he enlisted 
a number of men for another regiment, and was commissioned 
second lieutenant. But being called to Montpelier by the 
dangerous illness of his eldest brother, he resigned his com- 
mission, and returned to the study of law in Derby. His strong 
patriotism would not permit him to remain at home, however, 
in the quiet pursuits of civil life, and, having acquired a taste for 
military service, he was active in recruiting Company B, of the 




Lieut, Stephen F. Spalding, Co. B. 



THE FORLORN HOPE. 1 2/ 

Eighth Vermont, and when it organized was chosen first lieu- 
tenant. On reaching Algiers Capt. C. B. Child was detailed 
as provost marshal, leaving Spalding in command of the com- 
pany. In the spring of 1863 he became acting adjutant of his 
regiment. 

The night before his death at Port Hudson, Spalding 
remarked to a friend : " I shall be at the head of my regiment 
to-morrow ; " and later, as if some premonition of fate had come 
to him, he said to his friend Capt. Barstow : "I shall not spend 
another night with you." Both remarks proved true, and he 
was struck in the head by a minie ball, and fell in front of his 
men. Lieut. F. E. Smith recovered his body, had it forwarded 
to New Orleans in charge of George W. Fairfield, of Com- 
pany F, who delivered it to Lieut. Butterfield to be sent to his 
friends. After his death, Lieut. Geo. N. Carpenter became 
acting adjutant of the regiment. 

In spite of his severe illness. Col. Thomas could not lie 
quietly in the hospital after the heavy firing began on that fatal 
morning of June 14th, but, disregarding the warnings of the 
surgeons, ordered his horse mounted and rode to the front, 
arriving just after his gallant regiment had fallen back. The 
officers he met told him he was jeopardizing his life ; and 
finally, seeing that the fight was over, and realizing his extreme 
weakness, he reluctantly returned to his bed. 

Two days after this terrible Sunday morning fight Gen. 
Banks published an order calling for a volunteer storming 
party of one thousand men to lead another assault. This was 
the general's "forlorn hope," and he urged the call with all the 
eloquence he could summon, but there was no enthusiastic 
response from the lines. Finally a camp was designated where 
those who would volunteer could be specially drilled and pre- 
pared for the difficult charge. The number was not raised, how- 
ever, though something less than three hundred entered the lists, 
mostly from the Thirteenth Connecticut, as it was understood 
that Col. Birge of that regiment would lead them, with a few 
from the Twelfth. Col. Thomas, had he been on duty, could have 
led the entire Eighth Vermont to this assault simply by asking 



128 THE EiGirrn i'Ermoxt. 

them ; but as the case stood, only a few of his men allowed their 
names to be enrolled for the " forlorn hope," and after about three 
weeks the project was abandoned. The names of those mem- 
bers of the re<;-iment who signified a willingness to serve, as far 
as ascertained, are : Capt. John L. Barstow, of Company K ; 
Orderly Scrgt. George G. Hutchins, of Company E ; Corporal 
Abner N. Flint, and Privates Lyman P. Luce and George W. 
Coles, of Company G ; George H. Ormsby, of Company H. 

In the latter part of June Gen. Banks was informed that the 
enemy had captured a wagon-train in the rear, and Weitzel's 
division was ordered to leave the trenches and move against any 
Confederate forces found hovering around. Accordingly Col. 
Thomas led his brigade in this march, though scarcely strong 
enough to sit on his horse. The first night the troops camped 
in line of battle, amid a heavy rain. The next day a long, tedious 
march was made, without discovering the enemy, and on the 
third day the division returned to the trenches. 

By this time the privations and exposures of the protracted 
siege began to tell severely on the troops. The work of mining 
had been begun, in addition to all the other duties, and heat, 
malaria, and fatigue combined carried a large number of officers 
and men into the hospital, while many another soldier, not sick 
enough to be excused from service, simply dragged himself about 
because he must. 

All this while there had been no regular surgeon's call at the 
front, but C. M. Ferrin, the hospital steward, attended to 
the wants of the ailing in the trenches. And to his credit 
it should be recorded, that his kind and skilful care saved 
many a soldier from severe illness, and he performed a noble 
service by his brave and tireless attentions to the wounded in 
times of battle. 

For weeks the two hostile armies faced each other within 
hailing distance, and the rebels watched from the covert of their 
earthworks, while the besiegers, strongly entrenched, slowly 
laid the mines which as a last resort would be fired beneath the 
enemy's walls. Under the laws of warfare, of course, no inter- 



A LIMITED TRUCE. I 29 

course could be allowed between the armies, except through the 
mouths of shotted guns, or officially under a flag of truce. But 
it would be scarcely human for one body of men to be thus held 
close prisoners week after week by another body speaking a 
common language, and having so many interests in common, 
and no attempt be made by the former to get news from the 
outside world. As a matter of fact, therefore, signals were 
frequently passed between the privates of the two lines, and the 
blue and the gray would pass over the fortifications and hold a 
friendly chat on neutral ground. Referring to this practice, 
Maj. Wickham Hoffman, of Gen. Banks's staff, in his interesting 
volume entitled, " Camp and Court Siege," writes : 

"It was curious to observe the sort of entente cordiale which the sol- 
diers on both sides established during the seige. When they were tired of 
trying to pick each other off through the loop-holes, one of them would tie 
a white handkerchief to his bayonet and wave it above the parapet. 
Pretty soon a handkerchief, or its equivalent — for the rebs did not indulge 
in useless luxuries — would be seen waving on the other side. This meant 
truce. In a moment the men would swarm out on both sides, sitting with 
their legs dangling over the parapet, chaffing each other, and sometimes 
with pretty rough wit. They were as safe as if a regular flag were out. 
No man dared to violate this tacit truce. If he had done so, his own com- 
rades would have dealt roughly with him. After a while, on one side or 
the other, some one would cry out, ' Get under cover now, Johnny,' or 
' Look out now, Yank ; we are going to fire,' and the fire would recom- 
mence."" 

"While in the rifle-pits during the siege," says a comrade, 
"we were constantly on the watch for a chance to make a sharp 
shot at anything which might appear inside the Confederate 
lines. Directly in front of the position occupied by Company 
B, but nearly over to the river, was a large round tent standing 
by itself, but so far off and so situated, that with the naked eye 
it was almost impossible to see if it was occupied, the opening 
being on the side. Corporal W. E. Halladay, of Compmy B, 
had a small telescope, with which he used to amuse himself by 
watching anything which might attract his attention inside the 
enemy's lines. One day while in the pit with Samuel O. Horn, 
a movement at the opening of the tent attracted his attention, 
9 



I30 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

and he remarked to Horn that a man was standing just inside 
the tent at the opening, and described to him the exact position. 
Horn, who was a good shot, immediately sighted his Enfield 
rifle to the highest notch, and aiming at the part of the tent 
indicated, asked Halladay to tell him if the man made his 
appearance again. After waiting a few minutes the man came 
and stood in the same place where first seen, holding the flap of 
the tent back with his hand. At the word Horn fired, and in 
a very few seconds afterwards the flap of the tent suddenly 
closed. We nev^er learned if the shot took effect on the man at 
whom it WIS fired, but in the course of fifteen or twenty min- 
utes an ambulance displaying the hospital flag drove up to the 
tent, thus advertising that some one got hurt. 

"Being under fire night and day for so long a time as we 
were at Port Hudson, some of the boys became reckless, and 
exposed themselves unnecessarily. In digging our rifle-pits, we 
would dig a trench up the side, to the brow of the hill, then run 
off to the right and left, throwing the dirt to the rear. This 
formed a bank on which a man sitting would show his head and 
about half of the body. On the morning of ^ June 20th, Samuel 
O. Horn and Edward Belville, after coming off duty, and having 
had a wash and their rations, went back into the pit without 
their equipments and in their shirt sleeves After being there 
a short time talking with C. D. House, who was on duty, both 
sat down on the earth bank in the rear, with their feet and legs 
hanging into the pit. Their white shirts made a conspicuous 
mark, which was soon seen by a Confederate sharpshooter, who 
sent a ball whizzing close by their heads. Horn immediately 
called out : ' You are no s")rt of a shot ! You could n't hit the 
broad side of a barn. Try again.' Apparently the same man 
did try, as soon as he could reload, and sent the bullet to the 
centre of Horn's forehead, killing him instantly. After this 
Belville was less reckless of unnecessary exposure, but met his 
fate in a singular manner. " 

Among the multitude of accidents and experiences met with 
during the protracted siege, it may be mentioned that on the 
14th, Wm. H. Henry, of Company B, turned his head to sight 



A QUEER CORN-MILL. 131 

his rifle, when a ball struck his left cheek, plowed into the bone, 
and came out through his ear, while at the same time a buck- 
shot struck him in the neck. 

A few days later a canteen was seen lying on the flat land in 
front of the trenches, and several comrades, who had not parted 
with all their boyish recklessness, asked who dared to run out 
and get it. Charles A. Dean, a young member of Company H, 
accepted the challenge, and got safely back with the trophy, 
though one of the Confederate shots, sent after him, cut a hole 
through the tin. While holding conversation with the Johnnies 
under a flag of truce, one day. Commissary Sergt. Lewis Child 
and three comrades climbed over the enemy's works, and were 
busily talking, when a Confederate ofificer came along, and 
ordered them "to get out or be shot." 

So complete was the investment of Port Hudson, that it was 
utterly impossible for Gen. Gardner and his army to hold any 
communication with the outside world, or convey any supplies 
within their stronghold. Consequently, the stock of provisions 
became so much reduced by the last of June, that the garrison 
were obliged to subsist on a small allowance of corn-meal, and 
an occasional ration of mule meat. Even this meal was 
obtained and prepared with great difificulty, for lack of a grist- 
mill. They had a small portable mill, but no power, and to 
supply this they resorted to a curious device. There was within 
the garrison a small locomotive, which the ingenious Johnnies 
raised up on blocks, so that the driving-wheel would clear the 
rails. Round one of these was passed the belt of the corn-mill, 
and after the engineer had ''got up steam," he was able in this 
way to furnish meal at the rate of several miles an hour. 
Probably this rude contrivance enabled the garrison to postpone 
the inevitable surrender for some days. 

During this interim in the trenches several promotions were 
made, as follows : June irth, Maj. L. M. Grout resigned on 
account of ill health, and Capt. H. F. Dutton, Company H, 
was promoted to major; Sec. Lieut. S. E. Howard, Company 
H, first lieutenant ; First Lieut. A. B. Franklin, Company H, 
captain; June 15th, Sec. Lieut. F. D. Butterfiekl, Company 



132 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

B, first lieutenant ; Orderly Sergt. John Bisbee, second lieuten- 
ant ; July 1st, Sec. Lieut. Geo. O. Ford, Company K, first 
lieutenant. 

On the morning of July 4th Gen. Banks ordered that the 
national salute be fired all along the line with shotted guns, 
and Admiral Farragut issued a similar order to the upper and 
lower fleets stationed in the river. Three days later, on the 
7th instant, came the cheering report that Vicksburg had sur- 
rendered to Gen. Grant ; and as the message passed along the 
lines, the troops hailed it with such loud and hearty shouts of 
joy that the Confederates knew that some important event had 
taken place, and called out, "What's the news, Yanks .^" and 
soon the Port Hudson garrison knew that another stronghold 
of the enemy had fallen. 

THE SURRENDER. 

Early next morning white flags were displayed above the 
invested works, and Gen. Gardner sent a messenger under a 
truce to inquire if the news of the Vicksburg surrender was 
official, and Gen. Banks returned answer that it was captured 
on the 4th. This was soon followed by a second message from 
the commander of the works, stating that he had appointed 
three commissioners to confer with three officers, whom 
Gen. Banks would detail, and arrange terms of capitulation. 
This was cheering news indeed, and in the course of a few 
hours the details of the surrender were completed, and the 
garrison that had defied the Union army for forty-two days, 
voluntarily opened its arms to receive them. 

This event, following so closely upon the receipt of the news 
that Vicksburg had fallen, was very naturally construed at the 
time to have been a direct consequence of that disheartening 
intelligence. But while the inevitable result might hive been 
hastened a day or two on that account, subsequent evidence 
fully confirms Gen. Gardner's assertion that it was a different 
motive that decided him to surrender. The simple fact was 



ENTERING THE WORKS. 1 33 

that he could defend the place no longer ; and after the sur- 
render he plainly told Gen. Banks that his garrison had scarcely 
anything to eat ; and when he saw preparations going on for 
another assault, knowing that the mines were laid beneath his 
works, he determined to save further bloodshed by honorable 
concession. 

It is a question, too, how much longer Gen. Banks could 
have maintained the siege without reinforcements. For at that 
time the army had been greatly reduced, and he was in immi- 
nent danger of being attacked in the rear by Confederate 
forces collected from the surrounding country. In describing 
his condition Capt. de Forrest, of the Thirteenth Connecticut, 
writes; "On the day of the surrender Gen. Banks had ten 
thousand four hundred men for duty, to watch and fight over a 
line nearly eight miles in extent. Our [the Union] forces had 
lost at least four thousand in killed and wounded, and nearly as 
many more rendered unserviceable by sickness." 

At the same time Gen. Gardner was not an easy foe to con- 
cjuer. He was strongly fortified and made an able and vigorous 
defence of Port Hudson, so that the reduction of the works was 
a severe test of endurance and skill, whether the investing 
army accomplished the end by siege or by assault. 

On the morning of July 9th the Union columns marched into 
Port Hudson and halted in front of the Confederate garrison, 
which was drawn up in line of battle. Gen. Gardner gave them 
his last order to ground arms, the Confederate flags were 
pulled down, and the stars and stripes rose in triumph, amid 
the exultant cheers of the victors. The surrender included 
between six thousand and seven thousand men, with their arms 
and the armament of the works. 

When Port Hudson fell, the last Confederate defence on the 
Mississippi was removed, and a free water-way was opened from 
Cairo to the Gulf. It divided the Confederacy and cut off from 
their armies on the east side the supplies from the west, on 
which they had so long subsisted. It was the severest blow yet 
struck at the enemy ; and the successive victories of Mead at 
Gettysburg, Grant at Vicksburg, and Banks at Port Hudson, 



134 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

were a message of despair to secession, renewed hope to the 
loyal North, and courage to the Union armies in the field. 

While all the available forces of Gen. Banks had been drawn 
from other points for the investment of Port Hudson, "Dick" 
Taylor had opportunity to collect his scattered army and ravage 
the country from which he had been so lately driven, without 
check or hindrance. And he improved his chance to descend 
upon the Teche, capture Brashear City and Bayou Boeuf , and the 
sick, with the heavy baggage and valuable papers left at the 
former place by the Eighth Vermont, fell into his hands. Col. 
Thomas's fine horse, which was so much admired, was there 
also, in charge of Private Parkhurst, of Company G, and was 
taken by the enemy. After that Taylor reoccupied the La 
Fourche country. 

It would seem that Texan soldiers had not kept posted on 
the subject of improved electrical machinery, for Taylor's book 
says that when he made this capture at Brashear City, "the 
sight of such quantities of ' loot ' quite upset my hungry fol- 
lowers. Wandering through the station and warehouse filled 
with stores, a Texan came upon a telegraphic instrument click- 
ing away in response to one down the line. Supposing this to 
be some infernal machine for our destruction, he determined to 
save his friends at the risk of his own life, and smashed the 
instrument with his heavy boots, then rushed among his 
comrades, exclaiming : ' Boys ! they is trying to blow us up. 
I seen the triggers a-working, but I busted 'em.' " 

On the evening after the formal surrender, Gen. Weitzel's 
division, including the Eighth Vermont, took boats and pro- 
ceeded down the river to Donaldsonville, where the Confeder- 
ate soldiers had appeared in force and were placing cannon 
along the bank in order to interrupt communication with New 
Orleans. 

INCIDENTS OF THE SIEGE. 

Every survivor of the Eighth Vermont will remember with 
gratitude Quartermaster Sergeant W. H. Gilmore, whose 
prompt energy in forwarding his wagons saved them so many 



SHARPSHOOTERS. ' 135 

times from going hungry. One incident of his army experi- 
ence during the siege of Port Hudson is worthy of mention in 
this connection. On the loth of June he set out for Baton 
Rouge to order supplies, and while making his way alone 
through a long stretch of woods, he was suddenly surprised by 
three mounted Confederates, armed with shot guns. So near 
were they when he discovered them that escape was impossible 
and resistance useless, and he suffered himself to be captured 
and disarmed. The guards proceeded with him to Clinton, 
which they reached about nine o'clock in the evening, and he 
was informed that he would be sent next morning to Richmond. 
But before they got away from the place a body of Federal 
cavalry, which was skirmishing in the neighborhood, approached 
so near that it was feared that Gilmore and a few other prison- 
ers would be rescued ; so they were paroled, after promising to 
make their way to New Orleans. But in the course of the next 
two days the faithful sergeant got within the lines again at 
Port Hudson, and reported to Gen. Banks. 

A remarkable artillery shot was made one morning by Capt. 
Bainbridge. Seeing the enemy open fire with a piece they had 
mounted during the previous night, he brought one of the guns 
of his battery to bear upon it, and fired a charge that struck it 
directly in the muzzle and exploded, dismounting the piece and 
rendering it useless. 

So alert were the Confederate sharpshooters during this 
investment, that it was difficult to get a sight of the works, even 
through the most guarded loop-hole, without being exposed to 
fire. And one day Gen. Banks himself had a narrow escape 
from death, while taking a stealthy survey. He went into the 
stockade and clapped his eye to a small lookout, and then for 
some reason turned away. Immediately a negro who stood 
near by put his eye up to the same peep-hole, and was shot 
dead. 

A singular illustration of the power of imagination was dis- 
covered at one time by Hospital Steward Ferrin. He was 
hastily called to a man who lay groaning on the ground, who 
declared that his foot had been completely shattered by a ball. 



136 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

The steward removed his shoe and stocking, and found the 
pedal extremity perfectly sound — the ball had struck his shoe 
and glanced off. 

Port Hudson was the first of the great battles of the war in 
which the Eighth Vermont had taken part, and their behavior 
won for them and their commander the admiration and praise 
of all who were competent judges of the situation. The gen- 
eral in command of the brigade said in his official report : " I 
would not do justice to my convictions of duty, did I fail to 
mention Col. Thomas for his coolness and gallantry at all 
times;" and gave a full account of the endurance and heroic 
deeds of the ofificers and men belonging to this regiment, dur- 
ing that protracted investment. 

Mr. H. M. Pollard was commissioned first lieutenant of Com- 
pany I, July 1 2th; and Orderly Sergt. John Bisbee, of Com- 
pany B, was promoted to second lieutenant, July 15th. 



VI. 



BAYOU TECHE AGAIN. 

Early on the morning of July loth, Weitzel's division reached 
Donaldsonville on the steamer Laurel Hill, and the Eighth Ver- 
mont went into camp near the landing. No engagement took 
place that day, although there was some firing along the picket 
lines ; but the next afternoon the regiment was suddenly 
ordered to "fall in " and move on the double-quick to the front, 
for the advance of the other troops had been checked by the 
enemy. The battle lasted but a short time, however, and the 
Eighth was held in reserve. But in a counter charge the 
Confederates captured a few Federal prisoners and two pieces 
of artillery, and retreated during the night. The entire divi- 
sion pursued them the next morning, and the Confederates hur- 
ried to Berwick bay and crossed before the Union gunboats 
could intercept them. 

The Eighth Regiment then marched beyond Thibodeaux and 
went into camp for the first time since April 9th. In memory 
of the brave adjutant general of the brigade who fell at Port 
Hudson on the 27th of May, Gen. VVeitzel named this place 
Camp Hubbard ; and there for a space they enjoyed the rest so 
much needed after the long, exhausting campaign. There the 
evening dress parades made it sadly apparent that the ranks 
had become greatly reduced. All the companies had suffered 
great losses, while some had left not more than a dozen pri- 
va tes, and not a single commissioned officer. Members of the 
reg''j'Tient were buried from every camp between New Orleans 



138 THE EIGHTH I'ERMONT. 

and Alexandria. Some died, buried in the Teche ; many had 
fallen at Port Hudson ; a large number were sick in the hospi- 
tals ; another small portion had been discharged on account of 
disability ; while a few had gone North on furloughs. Among 
those absent were Col. Thomas, who was ordered North on sick 
leave, and Capt. Barstow, who was much debilitated and unfit 
for duty. 

Such being the condition of the companies, the future 
efficiency of the regiment made it imperative that they should 
be recruited. Accordingly, on the 15th of August, an order 
was given for a detail to proceed at once to Vermont and secure 
new men for the service. The following were selected for this 
•duty : Capt. C. B. Leach, of Company D ; Lieut, and acting 
Adjt. George N. Carpenter of Company C ; Lieut. A. K. Cooper, 
of Company A ; Sergt, W. H. Spencer, of Company C ; Sergt. 
Charles R. Wills, of Company G ; Corp. F. R. Carpenter, of 
Company F ; Corp. H. R. Brown, of Company H ; Corp. W. J. 
Parker, of Company I ; Corp. Ezra S. Pierce, of Company K. 
They left immediately for New Orleans, took a boat for Cairo, 
111., and thence proceeded by rail to Brattleboro, and reported 
to Maj. Austin, the provost marshal. 

A few days after their arrival in Vermont, Lieut. Carpenter 
was ordered to report to Gen. Devons in Boston harbor, where 
he remained a while on duty, and was then sent to Norfolk 
and Alexandria, Va., in charge of conscripts to the Vermont 
regiments belonging to the Army of the Potomac. He returned 
to his own regiment the following December. Capt. Leach and 
the rest of the detail remained on duty in the state until the 
necessary recruits were assigned, and returned to the regiment 
in Louisiana. 

When this detail left Camp Hubbard, Lieu-t. L. M. Hutchin- 
son, of Company A, was made acting adjutant in place of 
Lieut. Carpenter. 

On the 15th of August Capt. Henry E. Foster, of Com- 
pany C, resigned and retired from the army on account of disa- 
bility and ill health. He was a man well adapted to military 
life. His company had been raised largely through his own 




Alliertj'pc: Forbes Co., Boston. 



Lieut. Col, Charles Dillingham, 



DETAIL DUTY. 139 

personal influence, and he was active and faithful in looking 
out for the interests of the men under his charge. He was a 
brave soldier and a good disciplinarian. After the railroad had 
been repaired and opened from Algiers to Brashear City, Capt. 
Foster became the military superintendent, and filled the posi- 
tion with marked ability. Lieut. Geo. N. Carpenter was pro- 
moted to the vacant captaincy, on the same day. 

September ist, Lieut. Col. Dillingham was ordered to proceed 
with the regiment to Algiers, and there embark on a steamer to 
join an expedition against Sabine Pass on the Texas coast. 
Gen. Franklin commanded the troops, and anchored opposite 
the pass, but did not land, because the gun-boats were unable to 
reduce the forts. But Gen. Weitzel begged to be allowed to 
take the Eighth Vermont, with the Twelfth Connecticut and 
Twenty-sixth Massachusetts, and charge the enemy's works. 
But his request was refused, and the troops returned to Algiers 
on the I ith instant. 

During the last of November a second detail for recruiting 
service was ordered to report at Burlington, Vt., which con- 
sisted of Lieut. Col. Charles Dillingham ; Lieut, and acting 
Quartermaster S. E. Howard ; Sergt. Ezra H. Brown, of Com- 
pany A ; Sergt. George Collier, of Company B ; Sergt. John A. 
Ripley, of Company C ; Sergt. Edward F. Gould, of Company 
D ; Sergt. Chas. R. Wills, of Company G ; Sergt. Geo. G. 
Hutchins, of Company E ; Sergt. Joseph N. Dunton, of Com- 
pany H ; Sergt. Francis E. Warren, of Company I ; Sergt. 
Charles Cheney, of Company K ; Sergt. Wm. T. Church, of 
Company F. 

Col Dillingham did not serve on this detail for reasons indi- 
cated below, and Lieut. Howard, consequently, took it in charge, 
and started at once for the North. 

On the I2th day of December, Lieut. Col. Dillingham resigned, 
Maj. H. F. Dutton was promoted to fill the vacancy, and Capt. 
John L. Barstow, of Company K, was made major. 

Lieut. Col. Charles Dillingham, son of ex-Gov. Paul Dilling- 
ham, was educated in the schools of Newbury and Barre, Ver- 
mont, passed the early years of his life in mercantile houses in 



I40 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Watcrbury, Cleveland, Ohio, and Minnesota, and then studied 
law in his father's office, and was nearly ready for admission to 
the bar when the war broke out. He raised the first company 
of three-years' men in the state, but was obliged to disband 
because the governor had no authority to accept them. He 
then recruited Company D, of the Second Regiment, was 
elected captain, and served in the Army of the Potomac, where 
he participated in the first battle of Bull Run. He was com- 
missioned as major in the Eighth, was promoted to be second 
lieutenant colonel, and commanded the regiment at the siege of 
Port Hudson. Col. Dillingham was a brave and efficient offi- 
cer, who not only distinguished himself'on the field, but as an 
able counsellor on military commissions. 

The following promotions were made during the fall of 1863, 
as indicated : O. E. Ross, appointed assistant surgeon, Sept. 
17th; Sec. Lieut. W. H. Smith, Company F, first lieutenant, 
Oct. 1st ; S. W. Shattuck, appointed adjutant, Oct. 20th ; First 
Lieut. H. M. Pollard, Company I, captain, Nov. 7th, vice Capt. 
W. W. Lynde, resigned ; Sec. Lieut. John Bisbee, Company B, 
first lieutenant, Nov. 7th ; Sec. Lieut. Geo. E. Selleck, Com- 
pany I, first lieutenant, Nov. 7th ; First Lieut. F. D. Butter- 
field, Company B, captain, Nov. 7th ; Com. Sergt. Lewis Child, 
first lieutenant, Company C, Dec. 6th ; Sec. Lieut. A. J. Sar- 
gent, Company E, first lieutenant, Dec. 12th ; Maj. H. F. Dut- 
ton, lieutenant colonel, Dec. 28th ; First Lieut. Geo. O. l-^ord. 
Company Iv, captain, Dec. 28th ; Capt. J. L. Barstow, Company 
K, major, Dec. 28th. 

The following from the Eighth Vermont were promoted to 
U. S. colored regiments ; Wm. Noyes, Company C, captain ; 
P. J. Noyes, Company C, lieutenant ; Lewis Titus, Company C, 
lieutenant ; H. C. Abbott, Company C, captain. Second Louisi- 
ana Regiment ; Lucius C. Herrick, Company G, was discharged 
to accept a commission as assistant surgeon of another regiment. 

Quartermaster P'red E. Smith, whose name occurs so fre- 
quently in the earlier history of the Eighth Vermont, in connec- 
tion with a record of honorable service, had some experience in 
military affairs before the time when the regiment was raised. 





Late Quartermaster 8ih Ft. 



jV£lV IBERIA. 141 

He assisted in raising the Sixth, and in November, 1861, Gov. 
Fairbanks sent him to the Potomac to settle the accounts of 
the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Regiments, which were unclosed 
when they left the state. Before his return he received a 
telegram from Col. Thomas, tendering him the quartermas- 
tership of the Eighth, and on reaching Vermont he set about 
his new duties immediately. In this position he had a wide 
field for the display of executive and business qualities which 
have characterized his whole career ; and it was these which 
attracted the notice of his superior officers, and gained him a 
promotion whi:h was equally complimentary to his personal 
ability and the regiment to which he belonged. 

After serving faithfully under Col. Thomas, Gen. Weitzel 
adopted him into his own militar}' family, appointing him on 
his staff, as acting commissary of subsistence. In this 
capacity he served in the different engagements in Louisiana, 
beginning at Labadieville and ending with the surrender of 
Port Hudson. It was a great and merited tribute of praise, 
when Col. Thomas, while acting brigadier commander, remarked 
of Lieut. Smith : " I have the best quartermaster in the United 
States army." 

September 17th, the Eighth X'ermont led the brigade by easy 
marches along a familiar route. There was a day's halt at 
Franklin, and they passed on through New Iberia and Opelousas 
to Carrion Crow bayou> * where they went into camp for a few 
days. Here the enemy, which had thus far retired before the 
advance of the brigade, made a stand in considerable force, and 
a strong picket-line was necessary to guard against surprises. 
November 7th there was some sharp skirmishing, but no 
general engagement took place, and on the i6th the troops were 
ordered to fall back to New Iberia, and there establish a posi- 
tion which would be stronger for defence. 

An incident not likely to be forgotten was a splendid dash 
of Barrett's cavalry ::ixv about six hundred mounted Texans. 

* The name " Carrion Crow bayou " was given to tliis stream on account of tlie former resi- 
dence upon its banks of a gentleman named Carron Cro. 



142 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

That troop of horse was one of the finest in the Union 
army and was greatly admired, and the Green Mountain 
infantry, in camp at New Iberia, witnessed the rout of the 
Texans with a great deal of satisfaction. 

At this place complaints of foraging were made at head- 
quarters, though Col. Thomas, with his usual caution, would 
warn his men, whenever the sight of sleek cattle or sheep 
attracted their hungry eyes : " Now do n't let me see you touch 
one of those animals ! " And it is not to be presumed that 
he ever did see any of his faithful boys appropriate to their own 
use the innocent live-stock of peaceful citizens. 

When Gen. Franklin was in command, however, complaint 
was made to him that some of Weitzel's men were stealing from 
the adjacent plantations. The members of the Eighth Vermont 
were Weitzel's men at that time, and, convinced that a high 
standard of integrity prevailed throughout his brigade, Weitzel, 
to whom the complaint was referred, said he had given his men 
permission to purchase what they needed, but had forbidden 
theft, and did not believe they would steal. At that moment a 
cavalry-man brought in two privates of the Eighth Vermont, 
Edward Price and Henry Roseblade, who were charged with 
stealing geese. 

" Here is a clear case," said Gen. Franklin. 

"I think not," answered Gen. Weitzel ; and looking round at 
the men he added : " You bought the geese, did n't you .■*" 

The accused were not so stupid as to answer in the negative, 
and were acquitted, although Gen. Franklin appeared not to be 
entirely satisfied with the result, and keut a sharp lookout for 
the next case. It came soon after, for the same " Ed " Price, 
in company with \\. S. Pierce, of Company K, had an interesting 
adventure in a watermelon field. The owner of the melons sat 
under the shade of a tent, gun in hand, guarding his precious 
fruit. But the two Yankee boys took him by surprise, made him 
drop his weapon, go to the field and pick a liberal supply of the 
ripest melons, and carry them far enough towards the camp to 
be out of reach of his gun. Then they released him, and brought 
in their boot v. 



RE-ENLISTIXG. 1 43 

The next day the two foragers chanced to be detailed for 
guard duty, and while at their posts the melon man appeared, 
and made loud complaint of the ill usage he had received. The 
first step toward redress was, of course, to identify the thieves, 
and Pierce was ordered to show the man round the camp. It 
did not occur to the planter that either of the guard could be 
the guilty parties, and he did not inspect them ; nor, after look- 
ing around to his heart's content, was he able to find the men 
he sought ; consequently, as a lawyer would say, he had no case, 
and the two offenders were relieved to see him take his 
departure. 

Foraging is a prolific topic, and it would be easy to cover 
many valuable pages with transcripts of the amusing stories of 
personal adventure, so well told by comrades Herbert E. Hill, 
Charles A, Dean, and others, who came near being captured by 
guerillas while engaged in a laudable search for mutton, fowl, 
and Qther desirable means of army subsistence. 

A VETERAN REGIMENT. 

. This camp, which was retained until the following January, 
will be remembered as the scene of some very important changes 
in the Eighth Vermont, which at that time had passed nearly 
its full term of volunteer service in the field. 

The year of 1864 opened with the severest weather the regi- 
ment had experienced since landing at Ship Island. A cold 
north wind, with continuous rain and sleet, caused much suffer- 
ing on picket lines as well as in camp, for the men had no 
means of protecting themselv'es against such unusual weather. 
The ground was frozen, ice formed on the water, and snow- 
flakes often filled the air. 

But the discomforts of this inhospitable storm did not chill 
the warm patriotism of those long-tried descendants of Ethan 
Allen's plucky campaigners. An order, issued on the 25th 
of June, was received from the war deimrtment for raising 
a 'veteran regiment, and, on the 5th day of January, three 
hundred and twenty one brave veterans faced the chances of 



144 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

a still more rigorous and exacting service, and signed papers 
of re-enlistment for another three years. This was a crucial test 
of loyalty. There was no element of novelty or romance to 
lure them on ; no spell of Northern enthusiasm tempered the 
inclement atmosphere ; no offer of rich bounty dazzled them. 
These men knew what the service exacted ; the privations and 
horrors of war were all familiar to them ; they had every rea- 
son to believe that the future struggle with the giant Rebellion 
would be more severe and sanguinary than the past. 

When the news of this re-enlistment was communicated to 
Gen. Emory, who commanded the division at that time, he issued 
a special order, commending the zeal of the Eighth Vermont, 
and caused it to be read to all the troops at the evening parade. 

The Eighth was the second from Vermont to re-enlist, and 
thus become a veteran regiment. The number of veterans from 
each company was as follows : A, 42 ; 13, 31 ; C, 29 ; D, 34 ; E, 
22 ; F, 32 ; G, 32 ; H, 32 ; I, 39 ; K, 25 ; making a total of 318 
privates, to which were added three non-comissioned staff, 
besides the commissioned officers who signified an intention to 
remain in the service. 

In this connection Capt. McFarlaftd, of Company A, furnishes 
this interesting statement : Fourteen men re-enlisted out of 
the seventeen who originally enlisted under him from his home 
in Waterville, Vt. One died in the service ; one was promoted, 
and one discharged for disability ; so that they were all 
accounted for. 

On the 6th of January, the camp was moved to Franklin, 
where very comfortable quarters were secured near the town, 
and where the regiment remained for two months. During the 
month of February the second detail, that had gone home for 
recruiting service in Vermont, returned with three hundred 
fresh men, accomixmictl by Col. Thomas, who had regained his 
health and returned to the command of his gallant regiment. 
He had sailed from New York in the Cahawba, which had on 
board a number of deserters taken from Blackwell's Island, to 
be returned to their regiments. One characteristic incident on 



A WHISKEY FIEND. 1 45 

this voyage is narrated by Lieut. Howard, of the recruiting de- 
tail, which will bear repeating. 

The deserters contrived to smuggle a cask of whiskey on 
board and secrete it, and, having imbibed freely during the first 
night out, they became quarrelsome and indulged in a rough 
fight, during which several men were badly cut or shot. A 
faithful search was made for the whiskey, but it coi^Jd not be 
found. But it was evident that one of the sailors knew some- 
thing about it, and the captain of the vessel questioned him 
sharply. The tar, however, refused to tell what he knew, and 
no threats or coaxing could wring the secret from him. At this 
juncture Col. Thomas sent to have the sailor brought before 
him, and, in the presence of three or four others, talked to him 
in a way that made him quail. "And now," added the Colonel, 
" I '11 give you just five minutes to tell where that whiskey is, 
or" — here he interjected a Jacksonian expression of great 
emphasis — " I '11 hang you at the yard-arm !" Then requesting 
one of those present to " time " him, not another word was 
spoken. For three minutes Jack Tar stood there under the 
piercing gaze of the Colonel, but at the end of that space he 
broke down, and confessed that it was in the coal bunkers. A 
court-martial was then convened, and the trial of the offenders 
lasted during the remainder of the voyage. 

Col. Thomas had not been many days at Franklin when he 
was ordered to New Orleans to testify before a military com- 
mission. By some means the colored people of Algiers learned 
that their old " Massa Colonel " was near by, and they gathered 
in great numbers at the ferry landing to see him on his return. 
As he stepped from the boat he was thronged with negroes, 
who blockaded his path, shook his hands, and greeted him 
with the heartiest demonstrations of joy. Col. Thomas was 
touched by this exhibition of genuine affection, and talked to 
the people as they came surging around him, giving them good 
advice about their behavior as freedmen. In closing he said : 
"Now I am going back to the regiment, and may never see you 
again ; for very soon we shall go into battle, and I may be 
killed." 



146 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Here his utterance was interrupted by a loud exclamation 
from an old negro, who seized his hand and cried : " No, no, 
Massa Thomas, you won't be killed, sah ! Every time we 
prays, we tell de good Lor' to keep Massa Thomas in the hollah 
of his han'. God won't let you be killed." This was uttered 
with a fervor that left no doubt of his sincerity ; and as soon as 
he could make himself heard, another aged negro added: " De 
good kurnel is sent down heah to deliber us. Don't ye know 
when Pharaoh druv the Israelites inter de Red Sea, how God 
sent Moses down dere to git 'em out agin ? Jes' so he send 
de ol' kurnel down heah to deliber us out uv bondage." 

During this period of quiet camp life a number of promotions 
were made, as follows : Edward Dewey, appointed quarter- 
master, Jan. 1 2th; Sergt. William H. Spencer, Company B, 
second lieutenant, Feb. 20th ; Sergt. John A. Ripley, Company 
C, second lieutenant, Feb. 20th ; Sergt. Nathaniel Robie, Com- 
pany D, second lieutenant, Feb. 20th ; Sergt. Joseph N. Dutton, 
Company H, second lieutenant, Feb. 20th ; William K. Crosby, 
Company C, first lieutenant Louisiana Volunteers. 

ON A FURLOUGH. 

In accordance with the orders of the war department, grant- 
ing a furlough of thirty days at home to members of regiments 
who re-enlisted, the troops received word about the first of 
March to go to Algiers and prepare the muster rolls for their 
speedy departure. A steamer was provided for their trans- 
portation, and on the seventh instant the lines were formed 
and the rest of the Second Brigade escorted the Eighth Ver- 
mont on board, and sent them off with cheers and hearty 
good wishes. They remained at Algiers four weeks, during 
which time the veterans signed the new rolls of enlistment, and 
were formally sworn into the service for three years, by the 
United States mustering officer. Then came the welcome 
paymaster, who replenished their empty pockets with Uncle 
Sam's legal tender, and on the 7th of April the veterans went 
on board the steamer Constitution, bound for New York. The 



THIRTY DAYS AT HOME. 1 47 

Ninth Connecticut, also on a veteran furlough, bore them 
company. 

A pleasant passage of nine days brought the two veteran 
regiments to New York, and they reached New Haven by a 
Sound boat late in the afternoon, where the citizens gave their 
returned sons a grand reception and banquet, and insisted that 
their Green Mountain companions in arms should share the 
honor and hospitality. Hurrying on again by special train, the 
gallant Eighth reached Montpelier on the evening of April i6th> 
where their friends and the citizens welcomed them in the 
most cordial manner, and the congratulations and feasting were 
prolonged into the early hours of the morning, which was Sun- 
day. During that day the regiment went through the usual 
weekly inspection by the company officers, and a dress parade 
in the evening, which was witnessed by a large concourse of cit- 
izens. On Monday they were furloughed for thirty days, with 
orders to report at Brattleboro at the expiration of that time. 

After the departure of the veterans, the remainder of the 
regiment, together with the recruits (in all 567 men), occupied 
the old camp at Algiers under command of Maj. J. L. Barstow, 
and, in accordance with orders from Col. Thomas, they were at 
once placed under stringent discipline.. Every detail of guard- 
mounting, dress parade, guard and police duty, and company 
and regimental drill, was rigorously insisted on, with particular 
attention to rapid loading and target practice. The sick were 
tenderly and skilfully treated by Asst. Surgeon O. E. Ross. 

With no details for detached service, the recruits were rapidly 
gaining in proficiency, but the Confederates were at their old 
tricks. Brashear City had been strongly fortified, and redoubts 
had been thrown up at La Fourche and garrisoned. The rebel 
cavalry also made frequent dashes upon points between and 
adjacent to these places, and the Eighth was not to remain in a 
quiet camp. On the 6th of May, Maj. Barstow was ordered by 
Gen. J. J. Reynolds, commander of the defences of New Orleans, 
to proceed at once with his force to La Fourche Crossing, and 
report to Col. Day of the Ninetieth New York. A private 
note from headquarters at the same time informed him that 



148 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

news had just been received that rebel cavalry to the number of 
several hundred were at Napoleonville, preparing for a descent 
upon Thibodeaux and the railroad. At six p. m., therefore, a 
train was ready, and Boutee station was reached at dark, where 
it was found that the train due from Brashear City had not 
arrived, and that the wires had been cut each side of the sta- 
tion. The train, however, proceeded with great caution, the 
engineer being placed under guards, who were ordered to shoot 
him upon the least appearance of treachery or disobedience. 
La Fourche was reached at midnight, and the men were 
marched up the river through Thibodeaux and camped in the 
suburbs. At about eleven o'clock the next night word was 
brought to the major by Col. Day's adjutant, that a scout had just 
arrived with information that a force of Confederate cavalry was 
en route for the place, and that an attack was certain to be made 
before morning ; also that Col. Day had left for Brashear City, 
and the command of the post consequently devolved upon 
him. In addition to the Eighth Vermont, the garrison con- 
sisted of two companies of Scott's Nine Hundred, and one 
company of Maryland cavalry, one section of a Connecticut 
battery, and two companies of infantry at the redoubts. Every 
man was instantly ordered into line, and all preparations made 
to resist the expected attack. As Maj. Barstow had no 
mounted staff. Quartermaster Edward Dewey, of Montpelier, 
and Assistant Surgeon Ross, volunteered to act in that capac- 
ity, and were on duty during the night, riding to the outer cav- 
alry picket with orders, and performing all the duties of aids. 
Soon after midnight firing was heard at the picket-posts, and 
at the same time an incendiary fire was kindled in an unoc- 
cupied house in the village, the light of which disclosed the 
position of the troops. This was a preconcerted signal by a 
resident, and gave notice to the approaching column that 
surprise was impossible that night, and the Confederate force 
retired. Two days later heavy reinforcements arrived, and 
further apprehension of danger was dissipated. Thereafter, 
drill and instruction were sadly interfered with by heavy details 
for guard dut}' upon the railroad. 



DID NOT KNOW HIM. 1 49 

While the veterans were home on a furlough, shortly after 
re-enlisting, and the balance of the Eighth Regiment with the 
new recruits were in camp at Thibodeaux, a planter near by lost 
some mules, and jumped to the conclusion that the Yankee 
soldiers had stolen them. Into the camp he came, one morn- 
ing, and in a towering rage addressed the officer in command 
and charged the men with theft. The commander treated him 
in a kindly manner, and by adroit courtesy so quieted and 
mollified the wrath of the old man, that he accepted an invita- 
tion to stay to dinner. 

In the headquarters mess was a young officer, who had 
imbibed too fi-eely of the ardent, and who, on being introduced 
to the planter, asked, "Where, sir, have I met you .^ Your 
face is very familiar." The stranger disclaimed any previous 
acquaintance, but the officer was confident and persisted : "Must 
" 'ave seen ye b'fore ! — face very familiar." Again the 
planter denied having met him, but in a few moments the 
young man repeated his assertion. This was pressing a point 
too far for the dignity of a southern gentleman, and, drawing 
himself up at full height, the planter silenced the aggressive 
youth with the haughty remark : " I certainly have not met you 
before, unless you are one of the party that stole my mules." 

On the 24th of May Maj. Barstow was ordered by Gen. 
Banks to proceed to New Orleans and thence to Vermont 
with all the original members of the regiment, who did not 
re-enlist, to be mustered out at the expiration of their term of 
service. The major replied, asking to be excused from the per- 
formance of this duty, as he wished to remain with the recruits 
until Col. Thomas returned. He also mentioned two experi- 
enced captains. Leach and Foster, either of whom was per- 
fectly capable of taking care of the men. But Gen. Banks 
refused to grant his request, whereupon the major again wrote, 
stating that his absence would leave over three hundred recruits 
with no officer above the rank of lieutenant in charge of them, 
and again asking to be allowed to remain. The response was 
an order detailing the major of the Twenty-sixth Illinois Infan- 



150 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

try to take command of the recruits, and peremptory directions 
from Gen. Reynolds to carry out the first order. In accordance 
therewith, this portion of the regiment arrived at New Orleans 
on the 6th of June, and, after a brief interview with the 
veterans, who had just returned, they sailed on the Daniel 
Webster for New York, and arrived at Brattleboro on the 
15th instant. The}' were mustered out of service June 22, 
1864. 

Maj. John L. Barstow, who quitted the army with this part 
of his regiment, had won a splendid record. He entered the 
service as quartermaster sergeant, but before his regiment was 
mustered into the United States service, he was promoted to 
adjutant. Then he became captain of Company K, and was 
acting adjutant general under Col. Thomas. Finally he was 
commissioned major. He had participated in all the engage- 
ments in which his regiment took part, and was acting adjutant 
general of the brigade at the siege of Port Hudson. As a 
brave and competent officer he had won the confidence of his 
superiors, and been complimented for eminent service in the 
field. As a commander he enforced military discipline every 
where, by example as well as by precept, and above all by the 
noble manhood with which nature had endowed him. 

Maj. Barstow carried with him into private life the tender 
regard of his comrades, who in token of their esteem presented 
him a beautiful sword and belt just as he was about to leave 
New Orleans for his home. On accepting this tribute the 
major remarked that he regarded it the highest compliment he 
could receive, since it was a gift from those who had served 
under him in the field. 

On the 19th of May the furloughs of the veteran regiment 
expired, and, with the exception of a few Canadians who had 
repented their oath and skipped across the line, all reported at 
Brattleboro, and returned to New Orleans June 3d. Eight 
days later they were ordered to proceed to Morganzia and join 
the forces concentrated there after the disastrous Red River 
campaign. Here they suffered from the intense heat, but their 




Major John L. Barstow, 



REVIEWED BY SICKLES. 151 

duties were light, and though the enemy hovered around in con- 
siderable numbers, they did not offer battle. On the iith of 
June the Nineteenth Corps, to which the regiment belonged, 
was reviewed by Gen. W. H. Emory, and on the 12th the regi- 
ment went down the river about twenty miles to capture or dis- 
perse the guerillas infesting that region ; but they fled at the 
approach of the Union troops, and the regiment returned to 
camp. 

On the 14th instant Maj. Gen. D. E. Sickles, inspector gen- 
eral of the U. S. A., visited Morganzia and reviewed all the 
troops. He was given a very enthusiastic reception ; for the 
crutches borne by his orderly spoke eloquently of his gallant 
services and personal sacrifices in the Union cause. 

On the 19th, about midnight, the first division went on 
board transports, and, with an escort of gunboats, proceeded up 
the river to Tunica Bend, where the Confederates were 
reported to be massed in considerable force. On landing. Col. 
Thomas ordered his regiment to divide into small scouting 
parties, which he sent in different directions. 

One squad of half a dozen men, including Herbert E. Hill, of 
Company I, and Herbert Butler, of Company H, climbed a high 
point called Tunica Mount, and while ascending were suddenly 
startled by a shot which cut Butler's clothing. This was 
quickly followed by a second. But no enemy was in sight, and 
when the party had gained the top by passing round on the 
other side, they found a deserted signal station, from which 
they concluded that the rebels had fired upon them and then 
escaped. The height commanded a magnificent view of the 
Mississippi for miles up and down, which well repaid the boys 
for the toil of climbing. On the return they discovered a man 
trying to set fire to a bridge across which the Federal cavalry 
had ridden, for the purpose, it was presumed, of cutting off their 
retreat. He was captured and brought before Col. Thomas, who 
compelled him to confess what he knew that might prove ser- 
viceable to the Union cause. 

At dark the several scouting parties returned on board the 
boats, and were landed again at Fort Adams, Miss., the next 



152 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

forenoon, where they again scoured the country, without finding 
any trace of a hostile force ; and the regiment returned to Mor- 
ganzia the next day and went into camp. 

During the last days of June the camp was full of rumors 
that something was about to happen. It is usual for experi- 
enced soldiers to have an intuitive presentiment of important 
campaigns or battles in which they are to participate. This 
may possibly be due in a measure to an unusual activity notice- 
able at headquarters, the going and coming of orderlies and 
messengers, and the ominous silence of officers when questioned 
concerning the future movements of the troops. In this 
instance suspicion ripened into certainty when the order came 
to prepare three days' cooked rations. They were sure then 
that a grand movement would soon follow ; but where, not even 
the wisest old campaigner was able to predict. 

July 26th, Capt. John B. Mead, of Company G, was promoted 
to the vacancy made by Maj. Barstow's discharge. The latter, 
along with Capt. D. S. Foster, Company F, and Capt. C, B. 
Leach, Company D, was mustered out June 22d. Capt. Geo. N. 
Carpenter, Company C, was discharged to be mustered as cap- 
tain and commissary of subsistence United States Volunteers. 

The changes that had recently occurred in the several com- 
panies required the promotion of a number of deserving men 
to higher rank ; and on the 26th of July the following commis- 
sions were issued : First Lieut. S. E. Howard, Company H, 
captain of Company C ; First Lieut. Alfred E. Getchell, Com- 
pany D, captain ; First Lieut. VV. H. Smith, Company F, cap- 
tain ; First Lieut. John M. Pike, Company G, captain ; Sec- 
ond Lieut. Edward F. Gould, Company D, first lieutenant. 

GOING NORTH. 

July 2d the regiment was again ordered to break camp and go 
aboard the waiting transports, and the next day they reached 
Algiers. Remaining here until the morning of the fifth, the 
men were ordered aboard the ocean steamer St. Mary, and 
were carried down the river under sealed orders. This meant 




'^f N. c^^^^^ 





^°^ARO Hl^^^ 





WEITZEL'S FABT/XG. I 53 

farewell to Louisiana ; and after passing over the bar at the 
mouth of the river, Col. Thomas opened the packet and found 
their point of destination to be Fortress Monroe. The captain 
of the St, Mary declared that his vessel was not seaworthy, 
and protested against attempting the voyage. But Col. 
Thomas, who had never learned to disobey orders, firmly 
insisted, and left the timid seaman no choice. 

Fine weather insured a safe passage, but the regiment had 
a sad experience. Herbert Butler, of Company H, died on 
board, and his comrades lost in him a noble boy and brave 
soldier. He had been ill for some time before the regiment 
started, but insisted on going North with his company. When 
he realized that his end was near, he called his intimates around 
him and begged that his body should not be committed to the 
sea, but should be sent home to his mother. This, his last 
request, was executed. 

On leaving Louisiana the regiment parted with Gen, Weitzel, 
to whom the men had become greatly attached, and entered 
another command, while he was ordered to Virginia. His 
brigade formed in line, and as he rode in front of them for the 
last time, gave him hearty, though sad, parting cheers. The fol- 
lowing tribute to his character and worth is contributed by 
Quartermaster Fred. E, Smith, of Gen. Weitzel's staff : 

Godfrey Weitzel, long known and much respected as the first 
commander of Weitzel's Reserve Brigade, was lieutenant of 
engineers in the regular army, and, March loth, was appointed 
chief engineer on Gen. Butler's staff. On arriving at New 
Orleans he was made assistant military commandant, and was 
acting major of the city. August 25th, he was made superin- 
tendent of exchange of prisoners. In the discharge of his 
official duties both before and during the war he had become so 
familiar with the topography of the state of Louisiana and the 
fortifications of the Mississippi, that, when he was commis- 
sioned brigadier general of volunteers, it was fitting that he 
should take command of the first brigade organized for active 
service in the field, in the department of the Gulf. 



154 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

It was the privilege of the Eighth Vermont Regiment to be 
long connected with Gen. Weitzel's brigade, and both officers 
and men learned to esteem him highly for his personal qualities 
and military knowledge. His kindliness of heart won their love ; 
his ability and skilful management gained their confidence ; 
his careful provision for their wants and comfort inspired their 
trust in his sagacity and prudence. So much did both officers 
and men come to rely on their young commander, that it was a 
common remark that the Eighth Vermont were always ready to 
follow wherever he led. Throughout the marches and skirmishes 
of the La Fourche, the Teche, the Attakapas, and the Red 
River campaigns, Weitzel's commands were readily accepted, 
and met with a prompt and cheerful obedience from the Green 
Mountain boys who served under him. It would be easy to 
recall many instances in which comrades of these companies 
received his compliments and hearty thanks for the meritorious 
discharge of the duties to which he had assigned them. 

Gen. Weitzel was a young man to hold so responsible a posi- 
tion, and well do the boys remember the scene in Camp Stevens, 
when over a hundred officers of the regiments of his command 
called to congratulate him on his twenty-seventh birthday. He 
requested his staff officers, all of whom were older than himself, 
to aid in entertaining his guests ; and never had they seen him 
come so near showing the " white feather," and having his 
wonted gravity of manner disturbed. When an officer pro- 
posed the sentiment : " To the gallant young brigadier general, 
Godfrey Weitzel," etc., he modestly exclaimed : " This is not 
an official occasion, gentlemen. Please call me G. Weitzel, lieu- 
tenant of engineers." It was about this time that he was noti- 
fied of his promotion to captain of engineers, and he received 
the announcement with the quiet remark : " It 's all right, I have 
earned it, and am entitled to it; but this 'brigadier general' 
commission I have yet to earn." 

Gen. Weitzel was quick to recognize merit in men and regi- 
ments, and on many occasions he cheered the hearts of the 
soldiers by complimenting their behavior, and assuring them of 
his confidence in their courage and endurance. When asked 




Gen. Godfrey Weitzel. 



A REMEMBRANCE. 155 

by consulting generals if such or such a march, dash, or attack 
could be successfully made, he was wont to reply, "Yes, with 
my Eighth Vermont, Twelfth Connecticut, and Seventy-fifth 
and One Hundred and Sixtieth New York, I have no fears 
for the result." He took pleasure also in the fact that the Eighth 
Vermont had in its ranks men of every trade and profession. 
When Gen. Butler once asked : " Weitzel, how is it that all 
your staff departments are in such perfect order, and their papers 
so correctly and promptly returned.''" he quickly answered: 
" Sir, I have in my brigade men competent to transact any kind 
of business, so I simply appoint my staff, and leave each man 
to carry out the details and manage his own department." 
While going down to Donaldsonville, after the surrender of 
Port Hudson, Col. Thomas, worn out and sick, swooned in 
the steamer's cabin. On being revived. Gen. Weitzel said 
to him : " I have several times advised you to take a leave 
of absence to recruit your wasted strength; now I order yow 
to do so, for I must have you saved to this command." 

The general was born in Cincinnati in 1835, was graduated 
from West Point in 1855, and died in Philadelphia in 1883. He 
was emphatically the soul of his command, and the subjoined 
letter testifies to the pleasant remembrances he always retained 
of them. It was written in answer to an invitation to attend 
the reunion of Vermont officers. 

Detroit, Mich., Oct. i, 1880. 
My Dear Sir : My duties here, and the sad condition of my eyes, forbid 
my acceptance of your invitation to meet the Vermont officers at their annual 
reunion; but I beg you will convey to them my kind remembrances, espe- 
cially to your brave old commander, Gen. Thomas (who I hope is alive and 
well), and to the members of the gallant old Eighth Regiment. She was 
always reliable, and I have good reason to remember the readiness with 
which she sprang to every duty. Our old boys are so scattered that I 
rarely see any of them now, but shall ever remember them with pleasure. 

Yours with esteem, 

G. Weitzel. 
To Lieut. Fred E. Smith, Montpelier, Vt. 



VII. 



TO THE SHENANDOAH. 

It was the destiny of the Eighth Vermont Regiment to have 
a varied experience during the period of its active military 
service. Tlie January rigors of a northern New England winter 
were exchanged for a semi-tropical climate, and the passage was 
made on a stormy sea. It was lovely mid-summer when the 
regiment returned along the same coast, and found the waves 
smoothed before their sliding keel. 

They did not leave the St. Mary, on which they had embarked 
at New Orleans, until it dropped anchor in the river in front of 
the city of Washington. On reaching Fortress Monroe, where 
Col. Thomas had been ordered to report, he received further 
instructions to continue his voyage, and report to the secretary 
of war. This opened to the regiment a new field of operations, 
and brought the men mto association with troops and officers 
to whom they had hitherto been strangers. For three years 
had they been marching and fighting in a country abounding 
in swamps and malaria ; their future work lay in one of the 
most delightful and healthful sections of the Union. 

At Fortress Monroe Col. Thomas landed in a small boat 
and received his orders. While returning to the vessel he was 
hailed by Gen. Emory, of the Nineteenth Corps, who had just 
arrived and wanted to know what was to be done, for he had 
not reported, and of course knew nothing at that time about the 
order to Washington, But the St. Mary was ready to sail, con- 
sequently Thomas and the Eighth Vermont reached the capital 



OUT FROM WASHINGTON. 1 57 

on the 13th of July, 1864, somewhat in advance of the rest of 
the corps. Leaving his men to disembark, the colonel hastened 
at once to report to the war department. Secretary Stanton 
expressed gratification at his timely arrival, and designated his 
command the advance of the Nineteenth Corps. Gen. Early 
was then menacing the city, which was almost defenceless for 
lack of troops, and it was feared that the capital might be 
captured. Col. Thomas immediately received his orders, and 
marched his men through the city in the direction of George- 
town. As they passed the White House President Lincoln 
was in sight and saluted them by lifting his hat. The courtesy 
was returned with three rousing cheers and a tiger. 

The force under Col. Thomas included besides his own men 
remnants of several other regiments, and, passing Fort Reno, 
they encamped that night at Tennallytown, Rockville. On the 
14th the march was continued to Poolsville, near the river, 
where the troops remained until the i6th. Then pushing 
westward, the men waded across the Potomac at White's 
Ford, and went into camp near Leesburg in the evening 
after a dusty and fatiguing march. Here the colonel re- 
ceived orders to search the town for concealed Confederates 
and arms. On the following morning, which was Sunday, he 
entered the streets, and, having disposed his men so as to 
command all the approaches to the town, proceeded to execute 
his work. A considerable number of prisoners was taken into 
custody and secured. Among them was a soldier in gray 
whom Sergt. Lamb, of Company I, recognized as his own 
cousin. 

Having retired from Maryland, Gen. Early was at Snicker's 
Gap, in the Blue Ridge, and thither the Eighth Vermont was. 
ordered to follow him on the i8th. But when the place was 
reached in the afternoon, it was found that the enemy had 
retreated over the mountain just in season to avoid them. 
From this time until the meeting of the two armies at the bat- 
tle of Opequon in September, Thomas and his regiment had an 
experience not unlike that which many of them might have 
heard their grandfathers speak of having in Revolutionary times, 



158 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

— marching and countermarching; pursuing the enemy, but 
having no decisive engagement ; hurried hither and thither on 
long, toilsome tramps, without being allowed time for sleep or 
rations. The sun was extremely hot, the roads dusty and 
sandy, and the men were thoroughly foot-sore and jaded. 

On the next advance the regiment climbed the mountains 
east of the Shenandoah, and at daylight on the morning of the 
20th forded the river into the beautiful valley which was to be 
the scene of their greatest achievements. The tents were pitched 
near the Berryville pike, not far from the spot where the enemy 
had passed the previous night, and a house where Confederate 
Gen. Breckenridge slept was pointed out to Col. Thomas. In 
the afternoon a terrific thunderstorm and tornado swept over 
the place, and one man belonging to a New York regiment was 
killed by the lightning. 

At sunset that night orders came to return again to Wash- 
ington as rapidly as possible. Accordingly, the troops retraced 
the route by which they had just advanced, marched all night, 
and did not make a halt until eleven o'clock on the morning of 
the 2 1 St. When the men forded the river, they found the 
stream, which was probably swollen by the afternoon rain, up 
to their armpits, and as they climbed the banks on the moun- 
tain side with their shoes full of water, the sand worked into 
them, and very soon the soldiers began to complain of blis- 
tered feet. In some cases, too, the soaking so demoralized 
Uncle Sam's contract leather, that sole and upper parted, and the 
poor wearers were obliged to trudge on in their stocking feet. 

During that short morning halt, coffee was made, but the 
men had no solid food, and before they had time to drink it 
orders came to "fall in," and they marched to Goose creek, a 
small stream a few miles beyond Leesburg, and there rested 
until afternoon. Then they pressed forward again until eleven 
o'clock at night, when, thoroughly jaded, they dropped down 
without any supper, and slept on their arms. The next morn- 
ing found them on the move again ; and, crossing the Potomac 
at Chain bridge, they went into camp on a hill overlooking the 
bridge, and remained there two nights. 



TEA HIP, TRAMP, TRAMP. 1 59 

On the 26th a march of nineteen miles was made to Ten- 
nallytown on the Frederick pike, where the troops had bivou- 
acked on the first night after leaving Washington. The next 
day the movement was ordered in another direction, and the 
following night was spent at a place a little beyond Hyat- 
town. The men camped without supper, and before the next 
sunrise were marching again. Passing through Ubana, they 
bivouacked at Monocacy Junction, where Early had whipped 
Lew Wallace some twenty days before. 

It was a zigzag, tiresome game they played there with the 
wily enemy, for Gen. Early did not propose to quit that region 
till he had severely worried his antagonist, even though he failed 
to carry a secession flag into the capital of the United States. 
At that stage of affairs, therefore, the only mode of dealing with 
him was to follow him closely, and keep the hostile army at bay 
as far as possible. Accordingly, Col. Thomas and his command 
continued their devious route by fording the shallow river, and 
moving towards Harper's Ferry on the 28th. Nineteen miles 
of hard marching brought them to Halltown, where, tired and 
hungry, they encamped, and enjoyed a good ration of beef and a 
little fun at the expense of an old gentleman, who came to head- 
quarters inquiring for his lost cow. But her fate was sealed, and 
he discovered no evidence of her bovine identity save in the 
stew-pans beneath which the cooks were feeding the fires. 

Harper's Ferry was reached on the 30th, and the troops were 
ordered to climb BoHvar Heights. There they remained three 
hours, not devoting their time to a leisurely survey of the 
natural beauties commanded by that eminence, it is safe to 
say ; then they all marched down again, and trudged thirteen 
miles away to Jefferson, reaching the place about midnight. 
A halt and a short nap, when the familiar "fall in ! " smote their 
drowsy ears, and they were off again. On the last hot night of 
the month, exhausted for lack of proper food and rest, the 
weary Vermont boys passed through Frederick and chose a 
camp near a water spring beyond. It had been a Sabbath- 
day's journey, too, but longer than the ancient Hebrew rule 
would have sanctioned. A herd of cattle was grazing near 



l6o THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

by, and Col. Thomas sent word to Gen. D wight that if the 
regiment was not supplied with meat, some of those sleek 
animals would shed their hides before nightfall. But pleasanter 
thoughts than those of unsatisfied hunger came to the jaded 
soldiers. The camp was pitched on high ground, from which 
the men, on looking down into the streets of the town they had 
passed, saw kindly women engaged in carrying water to another 
body of Union troops which had halted there. The sight was 
ravishing ; it reminded them of the clear, pure streams slipping 
down their native hills, and they could not resist the tempta- 
tion to go thither and quench their intolerable thirst. The col- 
onel gave them a fatherly caution about over-drinking, and thus 
saved many of his men from the consequences of excessive 
indulgence. The meat supplies failed to arrive, and, after 
waiting a proper time, the men were allowed to prey upon the 
adjacent herd ; and for once, having borrowed some salt of a 
grocer, the half-starved men "made a meal of it." 

Few people, without having shared a soldier's experience, can 
realize what it is to march day after day, as the Eighth Ver- 
mont men did those hot July days and nights. The excessive 
fatigue, the grinding torture caused by loss of regular food and 
sleep, and the long continued motion, are truthfully described 
in the following paragraphs quoted from a Confederate soldier's 
letter, published in a southern newspaper : 

" It must be remembered that a soldier, with his rifle, ammunition, blan- 
ket, provisions, etc., is weighted down about fifty pounds, or over, and this 
dead weight, instead of being distributed over the body, bears chiefly upon 
the shoulders. 

" Those who have never been there generally suppose that the actual 
contact of battle is the hardest and most trying to the nerves and pluck in 
the phases of a soldier's life. This is a fallacy. Many a time have I heard 
my comrades express satisfaction, after a long and distressing march, at 
having got at last within striking distance of the foe. I do not believe that 
the man lives, or has lived, who could honestly say that he never felt fezrr 
while on the eve of battle, or rather when first going under fire. 

" But a forced march is a terror to the best of troops, no matter how well 
they may have been disciplined. What do the readers of this paper sup- 
pose that a forced march means ? It means torture of mind and torture of 
body : it means a dull aching of every joint and bone and marrow of the 



UNDER SHERIDAN. l6l 

bones ; it means not simply utter weariness and pain, but an almost com- 
plete prostration of the physical powers ; it means that one falls asleep for 
a minute while mechanically plodding along, to awake with a start while 
staggering to a fall ; it means, when the ten minutes' rest comes at every 
two miles, to sink down in one's tracks like an empty bag, and to be asleep 
before you touch the ground. When the ten minutes' rest expires and the 
command, ' Fall in ! ' is given, one awakes and gets up from mere force of 
habit, and resumes the grinding task, stiffer and sorer, if possible, than 
before. 

" It means, finally, that one would barter a million cheerfully for an 
hour's rest and sleep, and, while feeling bound to obey the inexorable com- 
mand, ' P"orward,'one is in such a state of mental and physical wretchedness 
that he is ready, almost, to curse God and die. And then, too, when the 
day's march is concluded, sometimes far in the night, what must be the con- 
dition of those detailed to guard their sleeping comrades ? Surely no gal- 
ley slave was ever tortured like this ! 

" And such a march often occurred in the most inclement weather, 
whether the sun was blazing hot, and the roads so dusty that one could not 
see ten yards before him, or the air was bitter cold, and the snow and 
slush a foot deep on the ground." 

The experiences of the regiment during the month of August 
were simply those of July repeated — hither and thither, to and 
fro, over the familiar roads, varied, it may be observed, by a 
tendency towards Winchester and the higher points in the valley 
of the Shenandoah. But Maryland was not abandoned, and so 
frequently did the Federal troops appear at that confluence of 
the two great streams, that the army came to be designated as 
"Harper's Weekly." But these movements did not long wear 
the aspect of an aimless campaign ; for, on the loth instant, Gen. 
Phil Sheridan assumed the command, and then began the 
initial marches in a masterly plan, which was to culminate in 
the entire destruction of the Confederate power in the valley 
which was the pride of Virginia. 

THE VALLEY. 

From the Potomac just below Harper's Ferry, the Blue Ridge 
mountains have a south-southwesterly trend across the state 
of Virginia. To the west is another irregular, but nearly parallel 
range, known as the Kittatinny, or locally, as the Great North 



l62 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

and Little North. Between these two mountain walls lies an 
elevated valley having an average width of about twenty miles. 
The northerly portion of this valley, {where the interest of 
this volume now centres) is about a hundred miles in length, 
measured from the northernmost bend of the Potomac to Staun- 
ton. Roughly estimated, it includes an area equal to the por- 
tion of the state of Vermont lying between the Green Mountain 
ridge and the Connecticut, and bounded north and south by the 
parallels of Newbury and Brattleboro. In the very centre of this 
inclosed territory rise several other rugged mountain spurs, the 
highest ending abruptly on the north, and called Massanutten. 

As the mountains round about Jerusalem gird a spot which 
to the ancient Hebrew was a synonym for all that is lovely, so 
these sentinel walls of western Virginia fence in a land of great 
fertility and picturesque beauty. The southern portion abounds 
in little water streams, which gradually draw together as they 
flow northward into the Shenandoah, that joins the Potomac at 
Harper's Ferry. In this charming valley nature with prodigal 
hand has blended that "diversity in unity" which gives the 
highest artistic effect. The general sweep of meadow and 
pasture is everywhere broken by grand and rugged scenery ; 
wooded heights relieve broad acres of the best of tillage land ; 
comfort and plenty abound on every hand ; and the rich annual 
crops are so bountiful, that the place has been long and widely 
known as the granary of the Middle States. 

When the war broke out, the Shenandoah valley had a thrifty, 
industrious population ; good farms and busy mills afforded the 
means of ample support, and the evidences of content and 
prosperity were to be seen on every side. The larger centres 
were connected by fine macadamized pikes and convenient 
railroad lines, so that when it afterwards became the scene of 
military operations, the armies and wagon-trains could be moved 
to any desirable point with rapidity and ease. 

Considering how often it has echoed to the clash of arms, this 
smiling valley is worthy to be called a historic battle-ground. 
Long before Batte explored it, or Spottswood, the " Tubal-Cain 
of Virginia," visited it with the " Knights of the Golden 



HISTORIC BATTLE-GROUXD. 163 

Horseshoe," tradition says it had been the scene of terrible 
Indian wars, between the northern and southern tribes of the con- 
tinent. The original white settlers were Scotch-Irish and Ger- 
mans, and, according to the historian Kercheval, these Celts 
and Teutons were far from friendly neighbors, and often en- 
gaged in sanguinary quarrels. On St. Patrick's day the Dutch- 
men would march through the streets of Winchester in proces- 
sion, carrying effigies of the saint and his wife Sheeley, the 
former decorated with a necklace of Irish potatoes, and his 
spouse with an apron full of them. On St. Michael's day, 
when the Germans glorified their patron saint, the Irishmen 
would retaliate by exhibiting an effigy of that saint wearing a 
necklace of sour-krout. These demonstrations often ended in 
fights, bloody noses, and broken heads. 

Throughout the colonial period of American history, the 
record of life in the Shenandoah valley is one of bloodshed. 
The white men were intruders on the heritage of the red men,, 
and must fight. The tomahawk and scalping-knife assailed^ 
them as they planted and reaped. The foe burned their cabins, 
murdered their strong men, and dragged their women and chil- 
dren into bondage and torture. In the autumn of 1775, when 
the shadow of the Duquesne disaster darkened the whole fron- 
tier, Washington was sent to Winchester to defend the valley 
against the savages. He found the place full of refugees and 
confusion, and it was no easy task to reduce the chaos to order, 
and put the country in a state of defence. A fort was built in 
the suburbs of the town, named Fort Loudoun, mounted with 
twenty-four cannon, and containing barracks for four hundred 
and fifty men. 

In the fall of 1859, intrepid John Brown, of Ossawatomie, 
sacrificed two sons on the altar of freedom at the gateway of 
the Shenandoah, and baptized it with their blood. From a 
gibbet of infamy his soul went marching on, bearing the torch 
of war through river gorge and mountain pass, through slimy 
swamp and lonely bayou, till the shackles fell from the race for 
whom he fought and perished, and the gate he sealed with 
blood became a highway of liberty. 



1 64 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

For years before the Eighth Vermont reached Winchester on 
their zigzag road to martial glory, this rich valley had been 
the source of food supplies for the Confederate army, and a 
thoroughfare for the victorious troops of Johnston, Jackson, 
Ashby, Lee, Breckenridge, Mosby, Elwell, Early, and other 
commanders, on their way to harass or invade the North. To 
many a Federal general it had been the valley of humiliation, 
on account of the defeats his forces had suffered. Neither 
Patterson, Banks, Shields, Fremont, Milroy, Sigel, nor Crook, 
had been able to destroy the enemy west of the Blue Ridge, or 
drive the Confederate armies from that land of abundance, 
where they gathered strength to prolong the conflict, and from 
which they raided the other side of the Potomac and menaced 
Washington. 

But in those dark days, when Federal military operations 
seemed destined to end in failure, relieved only by an occa- 
sional "masterly retreat," and loyal men began to feel discour- 
aged, a new chieftain entered the valley through John Brown's 
blood-stained gate, who had power to reverse the fortunes of 
war and cause victory to rest on the Union standards. From 
the day that Gen. Phil Sheridan took the command, purpose, 
and not fortuity, governed the march of Union troops along the 
Shenandoah, and the reign of defiant rebellion drew rapidly to 
a close. The jaded soldiers who rallied round his standard, 
from the plodding campaigns of Louisiana or the vanquished 
battle-fields of the Atlantic slope, found in this new theatre of 
action the romance of the war. The service there might be 
more exacting, the white heat of battle more terrible ; but the 
greatest generalship on both sides was there to contend for 
mastery, and victory, if achieved, would crown the conquerors 
with laurels of glory. 

It is not within the province of this volume to attempt to set 
forth the masterly plan upon which Gen. Sheridan acted, or to 
describe in detail the movements and achievements of that 
mighty force of infantry, artillery, and horse, which he offi- 
cially designated the Army of the Shenandoah. All this has 
been done repeatedly and well. But in following the fortunes 




Major H. M, Pollard. 



THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 1 65 

of the Eighth Vermont it will be necessary to make frequent 
references to the division and corps to which it belonged, and 
in tracing its movements in the great battles of the valley very 
brief allusions to the positions of the opposing armies will 
enable the intelligent reader, with the aid of maps, to under- 
stand the subject. 

Sheridan initiated his valley campaign by marching his 
forces out of Halltown, just south of Harper's Ferry, towards 
Winchester, on the morning of August loth. The Sixth Corps 
moved through Charlestown to Clifton, there forming the right 
infantry line, the Nineteenth Corps followed the Berryville 
pike, until its right joined the left of the Sixth ; the Eighth 
Corps proceeded through Cabletown to Berryville, coming up 
on the left of the Nineteenth. An easy day's march brought 
this army into a position which the commander thought strong 
in itself and favorable for defence at any time, and disposed 
the three corps in the order in which they were to advance. 
Keeping in mind, then, that the Eighth Vermont belonged to 
the Second Brigade (Gen. McMillan) in the first division of 
the Nineteenth Corps, the reader will find it easy to follow its 
subsequent movements. 

Gen. Jubal Early was in command of the Confederate army 
with which Gen. Sheridan had to cope, and was holding Win- 
chester when the Federal troops began the movement already 
described. But the enemy was not ready to accept battle, and, 
consequently, while Sheridan was moving out towards the Ope- 
quon on the morning of the nth, Early was pressing beyond 
Winchester in the direction of Cedar Creek and Strasburg. 
For three days the two armies continued their marches up the 
valley, neither inclining to offer battle, though there was con- 
stant and sharp skirmishing, especially by the cavalry, on both 
sides. The part of the Eighth Vermont in this movement was, 
a march and countermarch, and a brisk skirmish with the 
enemy, on the nth; more skirmishing during a march via 
Middletown to Cedar Creek, on the 12th; serving as grand 
guard on the Front Royal pike, on the 13th. 



1 66 THE EIGHTH VERMONT 

At this stage of operations Sheridan learned that the enemy- 
held a strongly fortified position at Fisher's Hill, that they had 
^ signal station on the highest point of the Massanutten moun- 
tains, from which all his movements could be seen and reported, 
that reinforcements were on the way and would soon join 
Early ; and he deemed it prudent to retreat. Accordingly the 
Nineteenth Corps began to retire on the night of the 15th, 
which brought Col. Thomas into Winchester at daylight next 
morning. He then pressed on to Berryville and Summit Hill, 
constantly manoeuvring with the enemy for several days, and 
arrived at Halltown again on the 21st, and fortified his posi- 
tion. At first Sheridan attempted to make a stand near Berry- 
ville, but after a short engagement between the Sixth Corps and 
the enemy, he withdrew his whole army to Halltown on the 

2 1 St. 

So far as the country could determine from the reports of 
this primary movement in the valley, the new commander, on 
whom thousands of anxious and critical eyes were fixed, had 
done like his predecessors in the same field, and fled before the 
enemy. But in reality the case was somewhat better. In 
moving back from Cedar Creek to Winchester, Torbert's Cav- 
alry, by direct order from Sheridan, had burned barns and 
crops, laid the country waste, and seized all the horses, mules, 
and cattle for the benefit of the army. This was a military 
necessity, and, in reporting the act, Sheridan wrote to Gen. 
Grant that he had " destroyed everything eatable south of 
Winchester, and they [the Confederates] will have to haul 
supplies from well up towards Staunton." 

For several days Early seemed to be trying the strength of 
the Union position at Halltown, while Sheridan remained 
quiet ; then he feigned to be about to raid across the Potomac 
again. But having accomplished nothing of importance, the 
Confederates moved up the valley again on the 26th instant, 
and encamped at Bunker Hill. Two days later, the Federal 
army followed on after Early, and the Eighth Vermont bivou- 
acked at Charlestown, the enemy being near at hand. What 
was known as the Clifton-Berryville line was again occu- 



SHERIDAN'S TIME. 1 67 

pied by the Union forces. There was some spirited fighting 
between portions of the opposing lines during several succes- 
sive days, but no general engagement, and on the 4th of Sep- 
tember Early withdrew his whole army across the Opequon, 
Then for ten days more the same position was held, and the 
skirmishing continued with unabated vigor. 

But while enduring this exhausting life, in which the regi- 
ment seemed to be simply marching against time, several 
worthy men were cheered by the receipt of commissions. 
First Lieut. John Bisbee, Company B, was made captain ; 
Wheaton Livingston, Jr., Company B, first lieutenant; Henry 
Carpenter, Company F, first lieutenant. 

Why "Little Phil" waited so long, acting only on the defen- 
sive, the public could not understand, and many messages of 
distrust reached his ears, while the lookers-on clamored loudly 
for him to "do something." But Sheridan knew what he was 
waiting for, and when at length assurance came that the enemy 
had been weakened by the long-expected withdrawal of Ker- 
shaw, he was aware that the moment for aggressive action had 
arrived, and remarked : "Our time has come." 



YIII. 



BATTLE OF OPEQUON. 

Gen. Sheridan decided to attack Gen. Early in front of 
Winchester, on the 19th of September, and by taking the 
aggressive to bring on a general engagement between the two 
armies. In accordance with his plan of operations the Union 
troops began to move out from Berryville at two o'clock in the 
morning, and the manoeuvres which at length brought the 
Eighth Vermont into action will be made siffficiently clear by 
following the route of the Nineteenth Corps to its position on 
the battle-ground. 

Winchester is a little more than ten miles west of Berry- 
ville, and the two towns are connected by a macadamized turn- 
pike, which about six miles out from Berryville crosses Opequon 
creek, and enters a narrow defile or canon that soon opens upon 
the wider valley and undulating ground, on which the 
troops were deployed. The Opequon, after which Gen. Sheri- 
dan named his famous battle, to distinguish it from other Win- 
chester engagements, is a small s,tream which flows in a north- 
erly direction to the Potomac. On each side of the caiion it 
receives an afifluent which rises on the higher land beyond 
Winchester. The north branch is called Red Bud Run, the 
south Abraham's Creek, and between them, on both sides of the 
pike, lies the battle-ground. The general surface is broken 
and rolling, and interspersed with belts of woods between open 
spaces. But just in front of the town the land slopes up to a 
plateau, gradually rising higher on the left towards Front Royal 



THE FIRST CLASH. 1 69 

pike, and on this tlie main body of Early's army was stationed 
to resist the Union attack. 

In telling this simple story, it is not necessary to set forth 
the entire plan of battle that has been so graphically described 
in more comprehensive works. The well-informed reader, and 
certainly every veteran survivor of that terrible struggle, is 
familiar with the routes along which the cavalry advanced, and 
the three infantry corps and artillery followed, into position on 
the field. He knows that Wilson's mounted brigades swept 
through the Berryville canon in the early morning, driving the 
enemy from the outposts, and clearing the way, while Col. 
Thomas, with the Eighth Vermont, after being detained in the 
gorge, arrived at the front just before ten, and went into 
position with the second division (Grover's) in the first line of 
battle, and the first division (Dwight's) held in reserve. 

On the left of the Nineteenth Corps the Sixth had already 
formed, with the third division (Ricketts's) on the right of the 
pike. The Eighth Corps, also, which had been assigned to the 
right of the Union line, was moving up along Red Bud Run. 

Such was the position of Sheridan's infantry when, twenty 
minutes before mid-day, a grand advance was ordered across an 
open belt of ground to the woods and clearing beyond, and the 
battle became general and deadly. The Sixth was soon driv- 
ing the Confederates Ramseur and Rodes back over an almost 
open field, while Grover's division made a sharp attack on 
Gordon from the covert of the woods. At firsi Gordon's line 
fell back, and, inspired by their success, Grover's brigades 
charged forward under a withering fire ; but the enemy 
received a strong reinforcement, the success was reversed, and 
both Grover and Ricketts were forced back with terrible loss. 
In this repulse the Fourteenth New Hampshire, belonging to 
Grover's second brigade, was so nearly annihilated that the 
lines were completely broken, and, while the remnants of the 
companies wandered away and disappeared, the color guard 
remained on the field, still bearing their signals aloft, and when 
the Eighth Vermont came into action, took a place in the color 
company of that regiment. 



I70 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

When Gen. Emory's second division fell back, the first, 
which had been held in reserve, was ordered to the front, and 
the Eighth Vermont and Twelfth Connecticut relieved Col. 
Molineux, who had retreated under a murderous fire, and were 
ordered forward with Company F, Capt. W. H. Smith, deployed 
as skirmishers. Over that bloody ground, strewn with the dead 
and wounded of both armies, these companion regiments ad- 
vanced at the command of Col. Thomas, amid the most fearful 
storm of shot and shell they had ever encountered. For three 
mortal hours they stubbornly held the exposed position, while 
the ranks were thinned, and the hot carnage raged on every 
hand. They stood the test without flinching, and many a brave 
deed was there enacted, an account of which is given in the 
pages that follow. 

The climax in this terrible day, as all the world knows, was 
reached at three in the afternoon, when the Confederates, who, 
from a strong vantage ground, had been fighting with despe- 
rate energy under skilful leaders, began to give way under the 
persistent hammering of " Little Phil." When that supreme 
moment came, and Crook's superb column like a mountain ava- 
lanche poured down upon the exhausted enemy, it brought an 
opportunity for the Eighth Vermont to render a signal service, 
and win thereby a lasting record on the scroll of fame. An 
inspiration, such as sometimes comes to men under great pres- 
sure, seized Col. Thomas and carried him whither it would. 
Notwithstanding the orders were to hold his ground, he charged 
with his regiment, followed by the Twelfth Connecticut, be- 
yond the rest of his corps, beyond every other Union line, in 
fact, and broke the enemy's front ; and using this position as 
a pivot, the right and left wings of Sheridan's victorious army 
swung like huge jaws against the vanquished Early, putting his 
broken lines to flight and utter rout. 

Concerning this famous charge, which seemed to have been 
the turning-point of the day, Greeley says : " Col. Thomas, 
Eighth Vermont, ordered his men to charge at double-quick 
with the bayonet. In vain general officers shouted ' Halt ! ' 
' Lie down ! ' ' Wait for supports ! ' etc. ; for, while some were 



ACCOUXTS OF THE BATTLE. lyi 

still confused and vacillating, a staff officer from the right gal- 
loped in front, and pointed with his sabre to the woods which 
sheltered the enemy. At once, all dissent was silenced, all 
hesitation at an end ; the whole centre, as one man, swept 
forward cheering and plunging into the woods, meeting there 
Crook's corps, charging from the flank. All the rebels who 
-could still travel were by this time going or gone." 

The record of the Eighth Vermont in the battle of Opequon 
appears as a " twice-told tale " in subsequent pages. The first 
account is contributed to the volume by Capt. S. E. Howard, 
of Company C, who bore an honorable part in the masterly 
struggle which made the gallant Sheridan a leader of heroesi 
The second account is from the pen of Col. Herbert E. Hill, who 
entered with enthusiasm into the very front and heat of the 
deadly strife when the first guns were fired, and was close on the 
flying enemy's rear when the last Confederate shot announced 
their utter defeat. Each writer has told the story in his 
own way, and while the first has the wider scope, the second 
relates what has rarely if ever appeared in print, what a soldier 
in the ranks beholds as he advances into the thick of the fight. 

But before these sketches of the fight are introduced, it is 
fitting that a brief tribute should be paid to the exemplary hero- 
ism of four young men from Winchester, N. H., who have 
already been alluded to, and who joined the Eighth Vermont in 
the gallant charge that capped the climax of the day. 

Francis H. Buffum, now widely known as Maj. Buffum, on the 
staff of the Boston Herald, Charles G. Howard, Henry E. Bald- 
win, and Henry A. Wood, were the color bearers who, when 
their regiment went to pieces, carried their deserted standard 
to the side of that on which the Eighth Regiment of their sister 
state aligned, and voluntarily shared with them the dangers of 
the front, when they might have retired without incurring the 
slightest stigma of cowardice. As a unique act of bravery on 
the field this deed is worthy of the highest praise. They were 
mere boys who, before that day, could scarcely be said to have 
been under fire ; but they behaved like veterans, and, forgetful 



172 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

of peril, refused to be swept away with their broken lines, and 
added the influence of their personal courage to the inspiration 
which broke the enemy's front, and insured the victory. While 
his regiment was under the terrific morning fire, Maj. Buffum 
exhibited his coolness and pluck by standing up while the en- 
tire line lay prostrate on the ground ; and requesting his three 
comrades also to lie down, he said : " Boys, if I fall, do n't forget 
that I did my duty." At the request of the historian, Maj. 
Buffum has writen for these pages the following lively descrip- 
tion of the scenes in which the homeless color guard of the 
Fourteenth New Hampshire participated. 

AS OTHERS SEE US. 

A regimental history is written, generally, from an inside 
point of view. Yet it may be well to vary its pages with the 
paragraphic glimpse of the outside eye and pen. I gladly stand 
for such an outsider, although, in my present mood, I feel very 
much identified with the Eighth Vermont, an organization 
dearer to me than any other save my own. It was my goodi 
fortune to occupy a position during the whole of the afternoon 
on the sanguinary field of the Opequon, where I could critically 
observe the conduct of the Eighth Vermont, and I desire ta 
give in my testimony. Fortunate indeed were the battle-tossed 
waifs from your sister state that the eye of your commander 
was upon us, and that his memory is yet clear concerning our 
conduct on that field, for our own regiment knew nothing of 
our whereabouts. 

The Fourteenth New Hampshire, battered by the shells of 
Fitz Lee, drenched in its best blood, had been whirled out of 
organized existence by a reinforced foe, after a splendid and 
triumphant charge, which opened the battle, by the infantry. 
Struck three times by shell and bullet, though not seriously, I 
had a sense of being hurled out from "the jaws of death," and 
having passed tJirougJi "the gates of hell." In an hour I had 
lived a lifetime, and life itself from that hour was a different 
thing. The colors of the Fourteenth were not lost, as supposed^, 



TM^/X COLORS. 173 

for four men saved, guarded, and kept them on the fighting 
line till the sun set on victory and a routed enemy, "whirling- 
through Winchester." Those men — all from my Company F, 
all from my native town — were, Charles G. Howard, Henry E. 
Baldwin, Henry A. Wood, and the writer. We were not dazed. 
not bewildered, but uncertain. The sweat of battle had lim- 
bered us well, and given the spirit a victory over fear. We 
retreated to find a line, for at that time the colors of the Four- 
teenth New Hampshire were nearer the now jubilant Johnnies' 
than any others. Howard wanted to hunt up the remnants of 
our own regiment, but I insisted that the attempt was useless, 
and urged turning to our right, as we retreated, into a belt 
■of timber and " falling in " with some other regiment. We 
were all anxious to keep our colors in the fight and to the front 
•of it. We enjoyed the full opportunity sought for. 

Passing along the rear of one regiment we came to the Eighth 
Vermont, which held the advance line of the Union position. 
Your history tells the story of our adoption. The initiatory 
rite by which our identity with you for the day was sealed, was 
a genuine baptism of blood and carnage, the enemy's shells 
plunging into and rending the ranks at the moment of our 
"muster in." 

Never shall I forget the appearance of the Eighth as we first 
saw you there, couchant, in the verge of the wood. It was 
the terrible majesty of a readiness for conflict, an assurance of 
tremendous possibilities, of a thorough appreciation of the situ- 
ation, a coolness that was awful when illumined by the fire in 
■every eye down the line. That line testified to the sublime 
energy of a disciplined body of men, sure to obey orders and 
impatient for the word. 

There I first met Stephen Thomas, and now I need not force 
•or trim a sentence to gloss his reputation. Fulsome adulation 
■of such a man is senseless phrasing. I saw him, as with the 
•ease and composure of a veteran fighter he gathered for heroic 
work ; as he moved his line out into that open field which had 
Just proved so fatal to the first line of attack; as he moved 
under the quick, hot fire of the foe ; as with excellent judgment 



174 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

he guided his regiment, with a rapid dash, well into the plain ; 
and then, — "Halt! lie down!" Still on his horse, he swept 
the field with accurate, reconnoitring eye. Not near enough tO' 
the vaunting Johnnies, — not yet within easy range of those 
piled up rails from behind which belched smoke and death, — 
the line must be pushed out. judiciously, but farther, — ^" Atten- 
tion, old Vermont ! " 

It was n't a "tiger spring," nor anything of the sort, but it 
was a brilliant, mighty onsweep of a well-handled, eager battal- 
ion, moving with an intelligent, irresistible dash, through the 
hollow, across the little "run" — just far enough, for when 
Thomas was under fire impetuosity never trampled upon judg- 
ment. For two hours the regiment lay there, giving and taking 
in well-borne battle, fighting with zest. Col. Thomas scorning 
the precautions he demanded of his men. On that field he 
showed that personal bravery, military talent, and the power to 
command men, which are the crowning excellences in war. 
The officers and men were welded into a homogeneous body, an 
admirably disciplined force, sensitive to the controlling will, — 
a splendid line of hardy, heroic fighters. 

In this connection one incident of that afternoon should not 
drop into oblivion. Some sorely wounded men lay away to 
the front between the lines in a spot crossed by the fire of both 
armies. Several of the Eighth asked permission to go to the 
relief of their suffering comrades. This was denied, for pru- 
dential reasons. At last one man was allowed to creep out on 
his mission of alleviation, but " on his own responsibility," as 
the venture was worse than perilous. It was a plucky act, a 
noble sacrifice to soldierly charity. I did not learn his name 
or fate. 

It was about half-past three o'clock when the rebel fire slack- 
ened in front of the Eighth, and most of the men were brought 
to their feet by a prolonged cheer half a mile away to our rear 
and right. A long line of battle was sweeping up towards the 
enemy's left. The colors of the battalions in the advancing 
line, for a moment, aligned on those of the Eighth and Four- 
teenth, and we caught a glimpse of the splendid emulation of 



''STEADY, OLD VERMOXTr' 1/5 

the charge as one regiment vied with another, making undula- 
tions in the line of colors, crowding the foe. Now comes the 
crowning triumph of the Eighth Vermont. Thomas under- 
stood the situation and was ready for the emergency. The 
story of that charge is vividly pictured in this volume. It had 
much to do with the success of the day. In the momentum of a 
magnificent advance the regiment was carried to the edge of the 
timber which had just previously sheltered the rebel line, then 
through the timber into the most murderous fire of the day. 
But it was the last. In a tempest of lead Thomas gathered his 
command, aligned it, and was ready to again move on, but the 
position was won, — the rebels had retreated to their last line. 

I can still hear, echoing in the halls of memory, that clear^ 
unwavering voice of grand command : " Steady, old Vermont ! " 
Vermont was there, and Vermont ivas steady; and the best 
spirit of that noble state breathed that day in the voice of 
Stephen Thomas. I was proud to grasp his hand — after 
twenty-one years — on the very spot where, in the emergency 
of battle, he gave us his benediction as we left you to restore to 
our own Fourteenth its mourned-for colors. I am proud of the 
honor accorded me of assisting Gen. Thomas and Col. Hill in 
locating on that field your monument, marking the ground 
where your heroic charge culminated, a spot forever hallowed 
by the consecration of spirit and the spilling of blood by the 
Eighth Vermont ; ground made beautifully conspicuous hence- 
forth by a monument which perpetuates the patriotic devotion 
of your veterans, and the noble munificence of one of your 
worthiest comrades. 

CAPT. HOWARD'S STORY. 

As the Eighth Vermont Regiment lay in camp at Berry ville> 
Va., on Sunday, September i8th, 1864, a careful observer might 
have noted an unusual air of expectancy in their faces and de- 
meanor. The men, many of them, were gathered in groups, 
engaged in grave and earnest conversation. Some were writing 
letters to parents, brothers, sisters, wives, and sweethearts. 



176 THE EIGHTH VERMONT 

Others did those last things which thoughtful men are aj^t to 
do, when oppressed with a presentiment of coming evil. The 
camp was remarkably quiet, and every countenance wore a seri- 
ous aspect. 

This unwonted gravity was evidently something apart from 
any feeling that the sanctity of the day would be likely to im- 
pose, and to a civilian the cause of it would have seemed wholly 
inadequate. No startling orders had been issued, nor had the 
apparent relations to the enemy materially changed. Gen. 
Grant was in consultation, that was all ; but to the expe- 
rienced soldier the presence of the commander-in-chief was a 
grim and terrible omen. For more than a month we had 
been apparently playing at war. When the enemy retreated, 
we advanced ; when he advanced in force, we fell back to Hall- 
town and entrenched for miles, as if we expected to withstand a 
siege ; but the moment the enemy withdrew a part of his force 
in our front, we advanced again. Some of our new recruits 
thought it would be ever thus, and the wish may have been 
father to the thought. But the Vermont soldiers were thinking- 
men, and those who had seen long service know the time must 
be near at hand when the magnificent army under Gen. 
Philip H. Sheridan must strike a masterly blow for the Union. 
Hence there were many grave faces in the camp of the Eighth 
Regiment that bright Sunday morning. Col. Thomas, desiring 
some religious service, in the absence of a chaplain, called on 
Quartermaster Dewey, who read an appropriate service from 
the prayer-book. We believed, we hoped, we feared the time 
had come. 

No better troops ever faced a cannon than ours. Under the 
leadership of our gallant Col. Thomas, the bravest man I ever 
saw, we had never flinched. If we had ever felt timid, or 
desired to shirk danger, the impulse was repressed ; for no 
man could falter under the calm eye of Col. Thomas. We had 
been so proud of his leadership, and of Gen. Weitzel's cordial 
^approval of our conduct, that I believe the fear of death was a 
secondary consideration. No man, unless he is a fool or brute, 
goes into battle without very grave feelings oppressing him. 



MARCHING TO WINCHESTER. 1 7/ 

and the best soldier is sometimes terribly frightened ; but 
the brave man is he who so holds his fears in subjection as 
to be able to say, and prove his words, " Death before dis- 
honor ! " 

History tells that on this Sunday, after a long interview with 
Sheridan, in which he found him fully prepared to take the 
aggressive, and only waiting the order to attack the enemy. 
Gen. Grant gave him the order in two words : " Go in," Late 
in the afternoon we received command to be ready to move in 
light marching order at two o'clock Monday morning, equipped 
with two days' cooked rations and a hundred rounds of car- 
tridges to each man. 

At the appointed time the march was begun under cover of 
the darkness, and as we filed out of camp the column turned 
toward Winchester. While halting for a little rest just after 
daybreak, we first heard that sound which I believe strikes a 
chill through the bravest man that lives, and causes him to 
feel that his heart is sinking down, down, till it seems to drop 
into his boots. I mean the dull rustling of air which is hardly 
more than a vibration, but which to the experienced listener 
betokens artillery firing at a distance. When one expects soon 
to join in the exercises, that signal is not inspiriting. As we 
advanced, the sound grew more distinct and ominous. Pressing 
forward at a rapid march we entered a deep, wooded gorge, and 
while there got the order to quick-step and then to double- 
quick, while the noise of fierce strife beyond and out of the 
woods gave a fearful meaning to the haste with which we were 
urged forward. In this defile was established a hospital ; and 
as the regiment passed, we saw the surgeons taking out and 
examining the bright, keen knives ; and on a table was a victim 
undergoing amputation of the leg, while other mangled men, 
and pools of blood, showed too plainly what was going on at the 
front. I must confess to " feeling pale " at that sickening sight, 
and I distinctly saw the men turn a shade whiter as they 
hurried on. I believe it was a mistake, locating the hospital 
where the men must see these sights before going into action. 



178 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

And now let me sketch briefly the plan of battle, and the 
events that had already transpired. The ravine through which 
we were passing led to a steep and thickly-wooded crest, 
beyond which lay an irregular, rolling valley, on the further 
side of which was the enemy's stronghold, formed by a heavy 
belt of woods in the centre, which was amply fortified, and a 
series of bluffs or heights extending to right and left, and at one 
point by a long ledge of rock, all forming a complete natural 
protection for troops. In the background rose the heights of 
Winchester. Early's army lay diagonally across the mouth of 
the ravine, through which our army must pass, his left being 
held nearer the gorge than his right, with the evident purpose, 
as developed by his actions, to let a part of our army through, 
and then, by throwing his whole weight upon it, to crush it 
before the remainder could be made available. He came fear- 
fully near success. 

Sheridan's plan of attack, as carried out, was to hold this 
gorge at all hazard, fight the enemy's centre sharply so as to 
draw from his left, and then with the Eighth Corps and the 
cavalry crush his left. In obedience to this plan Grover's sec- 
ond division of the Nineteenth Corps (our corps), and Ricketts's 
division of the Sixth Corps, had been pushed forward over the 
steep hills and through the thick woods, beyond which was a 
rolling valley, at the farther edge of which lay the rebel strength. 
Struggling through this thick forest, in face of a heavy artillery 
fire, the lines emerged under a fierce fire of musketry. But 
with great impetuosity they swept across the valley, and strik- 
ing the enemy heavily near his centre, forced him back some 
five hundred yards, and for the time seemed likely to end the 
battle then and there. 

But Early's strongest troops were massed at that point, and, 
at the moment when the victory seemed almost won, a large 
body of the enemy suddenly appeared and attacked our two 
divisions with great fury ; and, to add to their discomfiture, not 
only was the attack made in front, but their advanced position 
exposed them to a heavy enfilading fire from both flanks of 
the enemy. They fought most stubbornly, as the dead and 



UNDER WITHERING FIRE. 1/9 

wounded on both sides testified, but their position was simply 
untenable, and they were forced back towards the gorge. 
From a retreat their repulse soon became almost a rout ; and 
it was only by the most desperate and gallant exertions of 
general, staff, and field officers, that organizations were held 
together at all, and in some instances even these efforts failed 
for the time being. 

It was just at this juncture that, after having been held in 
reserve for a few minutes, we were moved to the right and 
formed in line of battle on the slope of the thick wooded crest. 
Ours was the second brigade in the first division, and in mili- 
tary experience I have never seen a situation more appalling 
than was presented at the time our reserve was called into 
action. The enemy was pressing heavily with both artillery 
and infantry, and the ground was strewn with the dead and 
dying, for both forces had been driven over it. Commanders 
were making heroic, but, for the most part, vain efforts to stem 
the tide, which seemed to be surely setting against us. Amid 
this confusion and disaster, our division moved forward under 
cover of the trees. It was a thick wood, but the shot and shell 
screamed fearfully ; yet our line advanced handsomely. A shell 
bursting near our colors killed two men and wounded several 
others, and just then the whole regimental line seemed to recoil 
from the terrible fire to which it was exposed, but recovered 
in a moment under Col. Thomas's stentorian "Steady, men !" 
Lieut. Col. Button, while gallantly urging forward the men, had 
his arm shattered by a musket shot, and was taken off the 
field. 

At this point we reached the border of the wooded crest, and 
looked out upon the valley and the stronghold beyond. The 
fire was withering, — scorching ; and here occurred one of 
those cool, brave actions which no soldier who saw it can ever 
forget. Above the roar of the battle a murmur was heard. It 
was not a cheer, nor was it a shout, but more an exclamation 
of surprise and admiration, as, mounted on his dapple gray, with 
hat and bridle-rein in his left hand, his unsheathed sword at 



l80 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

" attention," and moving at a moderate walk in front of the line, 
rode our grand old corps commander, Gen. Emory. Without a 
word, with a perfectly calm and unmoved demeanor, like a 
statue of stone, but with his eyes keenly scanning the ranks, 
he passed from one end of the line to the other, while the terri- 
ble storm of death pelted pitilessly about him. The effect was 
electric and wonderful, and the weakest man among us felt 
that he could and would dare anything after this brave act of 
the old soldier. Men who doubted a moment befofe, knew now 
that we should advance and succeed. 

Half-way between this crest and the strong point of timber 
held by the enemy, a weak line of infantry which had been 
saved from the wreck lay on the ground firing feebly, while the 
enemy crowded overwhelmingly upon it. This line must be 
relieved, and two regiments, the Eighth Vermont and the 
Twelfth Connecticut, were ordered for the work. As we 
emerged from the border of the forest upon the open ground, 
we were greeted with a shower of lead and iron ; but our blood 
was up, no one looked back, and we rushed into position. 
This position we held more than three hours under a continu- 
ous and heavy fire of musketry. We were apparently some- 
what protected by the rolling nature of the ground, but the 
bullets of the enemy often found us out, and occasionally a man 
was hit. Company I especially suffered, being in a more 
exposed position than the most of the line. 

Many acts of personal daring occurred during that three 
hours' work. Many of the dead and wounded of both armies 
lay close to us, and at imminent risk to their own lives our men 
relieved the sufferers, both friend and foe, with a drink of water 
or a lift into an easier position. 

During the first hour stray bullets kept coming from our 
left, enfilading our line, and causing much nervousness ; for a 
soldier, however bravely he may endure the shots in front, can- 
not bear with composure a flank fire. Taking a gun from one 
of the slain, one of our officers passed down to the left of our 
regiment and watched for this cross-fire, and soon saw three 
rebels in a clump of bushes at long range. Resting his rifle 



A PRAYER AND A CHARGE. l8l 

on a stump he waited till one showed himself again, when he 
fired, and then called the attention of several men to the clump, 
desiring them also to watch. Soon two of the men were seen 
carrying off the third, when the squad fired at them, and there 
was an end of the pestering cross-fire. 

Three o'clock came, and with it the supreme moment. 
The Eighth Corps under Gen. Crook had gained a position on 
our right, fi-om which to crush the enemy's left. A general 
advance was ordered ; but the line in front of us being consid- 
ered too strong to charge, Col. Thomas had been ordered to 
hold his position until the advance had been made on either 
side. Suddenly on our right burst forth the deep, fierce yell 
our soldiers uttered when going in to win. It continued some 
moments, and at the same time there burst upon our ears the 
sound of the most continuous arid terrible fire of musketry I 
had ever heard. Looking in the direction of the sounds we 
saw Crook's line advancing. It was magnificent but terrible ; 
moving in quick time with banners unfurled, and firing rapidly 
by file, they marched upon our right and flung their columns on 
the hidden foe. The carnage was awful. Men could be dis- 
tinctly seen dropping from the ranks, and the field was strewn 
with the dead and wounded in their rear ; but the line never 
faltered, never wavered. 

At the first sound of the advance Col. Thomas was in the 
saddle, and said, " We ought to drive them out of the woods." 
But the orders were to remain where he was. As the success- 
ful charge swept on, he could stand it no longer, and forget- 
ting everything except his determination to take the woods, 
he rode in front of the colors and shouted : " Boys, if you 
ever pray, the time to pray has come. Pray now, remem- 
ber Ethan Allen and old Vermont, and we '11 drive 'em to 
hell ! Come on, old Vermont ! " And with his sword held 
aloft he headed his horse for the wood, and gave him the 
spur. Some officers might have looked back to see if their 
men were following, but Col. Thomas knew his "boys " would 
not flinch, and, as he rode rapidly toward the wood, with the 



1 82 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

panting, yelling regiment close to his heels, the Twelfth Con- 
necticut could not stand it to see us charging away from them, 
while they remained behind. Their commander, Col. Peck, 
had been killed early in the action, but Capt. Clark stepped into 
his place ; and as we moved rapidly away, he shouted : " The 

Eighth Vermont is going to the d 1, but they shan't go 

ahead of us!" and on they came. It was grand, — glorious! 
Nothing could stand against us, and we swept over the works 
and into the woods in advance of everything, driving the 
enemy before us in great confusion. 

In this wood were great numbers of the dead of both armies, 
and many of our wounded. Lying propped against a tree and 
mortally wounded, was Lieut. Col. Babcock of the Seventy- 
fifth New York, well known and beloved by our regiment. 
One poor fellow wearing the blue lay fiat on his back, but 
waved his cap and looked as happy as if his leg had not been 
shattered with a shell. Knowing that our colonel had not been 
ordered to charge, several superior officers tried in vain to stop 
him, and Gen. McMillan rode up and down the line shouting 
" Halt ! " at the top of his lungs. But by that time we had 
fairly carried the woods, and there was no halt in us. 

As we reached the farther edge of the wood, a new phase 
appeared. The Eighth Corps was hammering the enemy's left, 
and his line of battle was gradually swinging around diagonally 
to ours. The rebels were still fighting desperately, but were 
receiving terrible loss. A battery on our left front and not 
more than one hundred and fifty yards away, was delivering a 
rapid diagonal fire in our front. We all supposed it to be one 
of our own batteries. Gen. Upton, of the Sixth Corps, rode up 
and ordered Col. Thomas to fire upon it. Col. Thomas refused, 
saying it was our battery. Upton was earnest and Thomas firm, 
and some high words passed between them, when the smoke 
lifted, and there close to the battery was the rebel flag. 
Instantly Col. Thomas gave the order : " Fire on that battery ! " 
and the shots were poured in with such terrible effect that it 
was instantly silenced ; and after the battle the slain and 
wounded testified to the fatal accuracy of our aim. 



DESCENT OF THE CAVALRY. 1 83 

At this time the Sixth Corps came up on our left. The Con- 
federates were fighting the Eighth Corps from their left front, 
and the Nineteenth and Sixth Corps from their right and right 
flank. Their situation was most desperate, and most despe- 
rately were they struggling ; but their fight was over. Crook, 
with his Eighth Corps, gallantly charged the high ground on 
the enemy's left, his last stronghold. From our position we 
could distinctly see the lines of the assault, and hear the crash 
of the combat, and then the cheer of our victorious men. 

Then, as if the fates had conspired to make the enemy's 
defeat complete and terrible, our cavalry under Torbert and 
Custer appeared on the scene. A long stretch of open ground 
sloped up to a crest to the left and rear of the enemy. We had 
advanced, and were sheltered from a lively spurt of firing behind 
a stone wall. Capt. Mead shouted, " Boys, look at that ! " 
We did look, and saw a sight to be remembered a lifetime. In 
solid columns, with drawn sabres flashing in the sun, and with- 
out firing a shot, down from the crest in the left rear of the 
enemy came a brigade of troopers, and burst at a gallop upon 
the surprised enemy. It was like a thunder-clap out of a clear 
sky, and the bolt struck home. The entire left of the enemy's 
line broke in utter confusion and fled in perfect rout. No man 
ever saw a more thrilling sight than that cavalry charge. 

The work was done. Line after line moved forward at a run 
in pursuit of the flying enemy. Battery after battery galloped 
up and blazed away, then limbered up and was after them again. 
The enemy was driven before us like a flock of frightened 
sheep. Generals Sheridan, Emory, and Crook, were in the 
front lines directing everything. Gen. Sheridan looked as 
happy as a schoolboy. As he passed our regiment the men 
burst into a spontaneous cheer, and he swung his hat about 
his head and shouted : " Boys, it is just what I expected ! " Gen. 
Emory looked just as happy, and no more so, as he did in the 
morning, when he rode bareheaded down our lines under a 
storm of shot and shell. His face was as grim and impassive 
as ever, and when we cheered him, he just raised his hat and 
galloped away to the front, where, the fire seemed hottest. 



1 84 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

For three miles we chased them just Hke this. Cheer after 
cheer rang along our lines, as we went forward at a double- 
quick to give one blow more, and the artillery seemed to boom 
joyfully as it hurled shells among the traitor crew. And thus, 
as Gen. Sheridan in his dispatch said, "We just sent them 
whirling through Winchester." Thus ended Sheridan's Battle 
of Winchester. 

The results of this battle, in captures, as gathered on the 
spot or during the next day's pursuit, were five cannon, fifteen 
battle flags, between six thousand and seven thousand small arms, 
and three thousand prisoners. Three thousand of the enemy's 
wounded were left on the field or in the town of Winchester, or 
on the road between there and Strasburg. Horace Greeley's 
history puts the figures thus : " Our loss in this battle was 
fully three thousand, including Gen. David A. Russell, killed, 
with Gens. Mcintosh, Chapman, and Upton, wounded. The 
heroic Nineteenth Corps — on which fell the brunt of the fight 
— alone lost one thousand nine hundred and forty, killed and 
wounded." The enemy's entire loss, including stragglers and 
deserters, must have been at least seven thousand men. To 
this should be added the important fact that the prestige of the 
rebels in the valley of the Shenandoah was completely broken. 

COL. HILL'S STORY. 

A BRIEF sketch of the experience of a single regiment for a 
few hours in the battle of Winchester, as observed by one of 
their number, will serve to show what thousands of other men 
in other regiments were realizing and enduring at the same 
time. 

The night before the battle finds us occupying the rifle-pits 
on the Winchester pike, near Berryville. The men are quietly 
cooking their rations for supper. For weeks the army under 
Sheridan has been marching swiftly up and down the valley, 
face to face with the rebel army, without coming to any deci- 
sive engagement. Now, just before the sun goes down behind 
the hills, a cannon shot is -heard. Well, what of it .'' To an old 



AA' EARLY BREAKFAST. 1 85 

:soldier a single cannon shot is not an unusual occurrence. 
But, strange as it may seem, in war a single shot is sometimes 
the signal to great carnage, when under different circum- 
stances one hundred shots would hardly receive a passing 
notice. A cannon shot, and the men look up and into each 
other's faces. My old friend and classmate, Walter Pierce, is 
sitting at my side, and Lieut. Downs is also at hand. Not a 
word is spoken until comrade Pierce breaks the silence by 
saying : " Hill, will you take my diary, pocket-book, and little 
Testament which uncle gave me, and send them home, if I am 
killed ? " Strange premonition ! but it follows him to his 
death. I endeavor to disabuse his mind of such an idea, but 
with not a particle of success : the cannon shot tells him only 
of death. 

The little tents are quickly down and rolled up, and soon the 
men are in line. But they soon dropped down on their 
rifles for the night, with orders to be ready to move at 
a moment's notice. Some sleep soundly, while others toss 
restlessly, and their slumbers are disturbed, for it is the last 
fitful slumber before their long sleep of death. Between two 
and three o'clock in the morning, after making a hasty break- 
fast of hardtack and coffee, the hurried march for the battle- 
field is begun. Amid the booming of cannon, Abraham's 
creek and the old red mill are passed, and then a little stream 
through which artillery, horses, and men are rushed, the 
muddy, disturbed water being scooped up by hand and cup to 
cool the parched lips of the hurrying soldiers. We now 
■enter a deep, narrow ravine, through which our cavalry has 
passed before us, and desperately engaged the enemy on the 
battlefield above us. The wounded men are being brought 
back into tiiis gorge. The ground is literally strewn with men, 
perhaps our own neighbors, who a few hours ago were as sound 
in body and limb as ourselves, but are now torn and mangled. 

We hurry on. Occasionally a man attempts a jest or joke to 
turn the thoughts ; but it seems only hollow mockery. Verily, 
this is the valley of the shadow of death. We reach and climb 
the high bluffs, and Winchester plains are spread out before us. 



1 86 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

The line of battle is formed. We march to our position in the 
fight between nine and ten o'clock. The rebels are in the field 
and woods in front, but we cannot see them distinctly. Their 
cannon fire shell and solid shot. A shell comes crashing into 
our midst, literally throwing one man into the air, taking the 
leg off another, and tearing open the abdomen of a poor fellow, 
so that his backbone protrudes in a shocking manner. It is 
useless to fire, for we can see only smoke. One of our 
batteries of six pieces is stationed a little to our left, exposed 
to a terrible fire from the enemy. Spiteful puffs of smoke are 
seen constantly over the guns and horses, and rebel shells- 
are bursting. The horses rear and plunge, and occasionally 
one falls, or is cut loose by the bursting shells. The artillery 
men flit like spirits from caisson to gun, while cannon belch 
forth their death missiles, then recoil ten or fifteen feet. A 
man drops dead here and there, or crawls away wounded and 
bleeding. This is the Fifth Maine Battery. 

We are under fire, but not firing ourselves. Some of the 
men laugh, possibly one weeps ; the face of another is pale as 
death ; his next neighbor's is flushed ; one man swears a fearful 
oath, while his right-hand man is praying silently ; the next is 
excited, fretful, and crowding. Here and there one is calm and 
cool, as if marching in review before his commander. There 
is absolute equality for the time being. All are on the same 
plane, so to speak, the rich and poor, the high and the low, the 
learned and the unlearned. The minie ball and the screeching 
shell make no distinction, but plough their cruel furrows until 
exhausted, or pass on like invisible fiends. 

We move to the right, over a rolling field, then forward 
again under heavy fire into a sheltering timber. The bullets 
spatter against the trees and glance off, and then a sharp cry 
of pain is heard. Shells tear through the tops of the trees 
overhead, severing the limbs, which drop upon the men below. 
On again, through the timber to the opening, and we see the 
line of battle we are to relieve. It is being literally cut to 
pieces by the enemy which is massed in the woods in front. 
Into this fatal clearing and beyond, the brigades of Birge,. 



THE LEADEN HAIL. 1 87 

Molineux, and Sharpe, of the second division, had gallantly 
charged and been driven back with great slaughter. Wounded 
men and fragments of decimated regiments are passing back 
through our line to the rear. The flags of an almost annihilated 
New Hampshire regiment of Birge's brigade approaches, and 
Col. Thomas instantly adopts them with the quick indorsement 
of Gen. Dwight, only a few feet away with Gen. Emory, who 
said, " Yes, fall in with the Eighth Vermont ; I '11 guarantee you 
will be taken care of there." 

Now the One Hundred and Sixtieth New York, of our 
brigade, is hastily ordered off to fill a gap elsewhere, while the 
Forty-seventh Pennsylvania is used in connection with the 
first brigade of our division. 

We can see squads of the enemy crowding out from the 
woods toward us. Thin clouds of white smoke rise rapidly 
from the muzzles of Molineux's rifles, as his men valiantly 
continue their desperate struggle. We are needed at once, and 
on the double-quick we rush forward nearly across the bare field, 
greeted by a fierce wail of musketry from the second woods, 
while the remnant of Molineux's line we relieve, rises from the 
ground and passes quickly back to the timber we have left. The 
Twelfth Connecticut is soon sent to our support and stationed at 
our right. Our fresh volleys come none too soon, but they are 
heeded, and the enemy's advance is checked in our front. A 
tall man near me receives a bad gash in his forehead ; the 
crimson blood flows down his face and bosom. Another has 
his chin shot away, leaving his tongue dangling exposed 
over his throat. Both must probably die ; but life is dear, 
and with a beseeching, parting look, they crawl back to the 
rear and from my sight forever, but their faces are imprinted 
in my memory. 

We are in an open field. The enemy are strongly posted in 
the woods only a few rods in front, and nothing between them 
and us but thin Virginia grass. What a change comes over the 
men. No more of that strange, helpless feeling. Now every 
man can fight for himself. All fear is gone ; in grim silence 
the men load their guns while lying on their backs, rise quickly 



l88 THE EIGHTH VERMONT 

to their feet, glance across the gleaming barrel, and fire. The 
first man to die on this spot is Walter Pierce, who had the 
strange presentiment about the cannon shot last night. A 
minie bullet strikes his face as he rises to lire for the third or 
fourth time. Not a word escapes his lip^ as he falls lifeless to 
the earth. 

In front and rear Confederate and Union batteries are firing 
over our heads. The shells have an awful, unearthly, hissing 
sound, like the terrible rush of escaping steam from a boiler, 
only a thousand times greater. A desolating fire of musketry 
sweeps across the exposed ground we occupy, the bullets sound- 
ing like angry hornets, as they cut the air so close to the face 
as to be felt. Men tear a cartridge and ram home the ball, and 
speak to their comrades about home or matters of interest a 
thousand miles away. Now amid the roar, word is passed along 
that Charlie Blood is killed. He falls with a single exclamation. 
Another is wounded, and we wonder who will be the next, when 
Corporal James Black settles slowly to the ground. A friendly 
hand instantly reaches out to his relief, but too late ; his spirit 
has flown. And still the ugly work goes on. Col. Thomas, our 
commander, sits like a statue on his horse, refusing to dismount, 
seemingly bearing a charmed life, encouraging the men within 
sound of his voice. Capt. Francis E. Warren is at my side, and 
has partly risen to his feet to watch the rebel movements, when 
a bullet enters the socket of his eye, and comes out near his ear. 
With a groan he bows his head between his knees, and drops at 
my feet. The next to fall is Edmund Fisher, a man past fifty 
years of age, and never yet absent from his post of duty. He 
rises deliberately, takes careful aim, and fires his last shot ; a 
rebel bullet pierces his right hip. He exclaims "I 'm killed! 
I 'm killed ! My home ! my home ! " I hastily examine his 
wound, and find the ball protruding from the hip bone. With 
my thumb and finger I press the bullet out and show it to him. 
He is so delighted to find his hurt so slight that he draws up 
his paralyzed limb to hobble away. In vain I advise him that to 
needlessly expose himself as a target will be sure death. He 
rises slowly to his feet, takes one anxious step to the rear, I 



TIVO BRAVE SERGEANTS. 1 89 

distinctly hear a dull thud, as the leaden death messenger 
enters his back, and he falls a dead man. 

Then an incident occurs which I shall always remember 
with peculiar interest. Our rifles become so hot and foul from 
constant and rapid use, that we are obliged to abandon them 
and take others from the dead soldiers lying within reach. 
But our ammunition is giving out, and Sergeants Henry Downs 
and Lamb volunteer to cross the open field to our rear for more, 
and soon return with a fresh supply ; but none too soon, for 
the lull in our firing is evidently taken advantage of, and the 
rebels swarm out from the woods and charge towards us with 
wild yells. But they are quickly driven back by the fierce 
volleys along our line. Company I is losing heavily ; four of 
their men are shot dead, and the captain falls and is supposed 
to be dying. A bullet strikes Sergt. Thorn, glances, and 
wounds Corporal Eddy, and others are wounded. Three times, 
after continued firing, our ammunition is exhausted, and Col. 
Thomas calls for volunteers to go for more cartridges, exposed 
to a raking fire. Downs and Lamb nobly respond. 

The First Brigade, having repulsed the foe in their own front, 
have moved back to the woods as a reserve, and the Eighth 
Vermont and Twelfth Connecticut are now alone on this 
advanced line. Upton's troops of the Sixth Corps are on our 
left, with quite an interval between us. It is three o'clock. 
The enemy are pressing out towards us from the woods 
in front, and a crisis approaches. Our slender line cannot, 
without plenty of ammunition, hold out against a charge accom- 
panied by heavy volleys. At this moment, some distance to our 
right and rear, great cheering is heard, and we discover a body 
of troops advancing in magnificent array in solid column, with 
banners flying aloft, and moving rapidly up, with intent, as we 
suppose, to take position on our right as reinforcements to our 
thin line. It is Col. Thoburn's division of Crook's corps, and 
as the solid column advances, the terrible flank fire from the 
enemy in our front mows them down like grain, leaving literally 
a swath of dead in their wake. 

In the meantime, while we are watching with such intense 



190 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

interest this wondrous sight, Col. Thomas is not idle. The 
moment the enemy's fire is turned away from us, he takes upon 
himself the responsibility, and makes a daring move on the 
checker-board of war. He sees an opportunity to hurl two 
veteran regiments like a thunderbolt against the enemy, which 
is concentrating every available gun to break Crook's exposed 
flanks. " Boys," says he, ** what we can't give them for 
want of powder and ball, we '11 make up in cold steel. Fix 
bayonets." It gives one a peculiar sensation to hear the 
sharp rattle of steel, and the whole scene changes. It is ugly 
work, but the regiment is up and ready for the conflict. Col. 
Thomas walks in front of his own regiment, and talks tenderly 
with the men, as though they were of his own flesh and blood. 
He passes down in front of the Twelfth Connecticut, whose 
colonel has been killed, and asks the officer in command if 
he and his men are ready to join the Eighth Vermont in 
a bayonet charge. Many of the men respond by springing 
to their feet. The captain explains that his ammunition is 
exhausted. "So is mine," said Col. Thomas. "Three times 
my regiment has fired the last cartridge." " So has the Eighth 
Vermont," said their gallant old leader. Then walking back, he 
determines to lead his own regiment to the charge, and leave 
the others, believing they would follow. He moves forward, 
holding his sword high in air. His faithful men spring to the 
line, their bayonets glistening in the sunlight. The Twelfth 
Connecticut, inspired by this courageous dash, soon follow, and 
the enemy are driven at the point of the bayonet from their 
works in the timber, our own regiment capturing many prison- 
ers who could not get away, so sudden and desperate was the 
assault. In vain do staff officers, and Gen. McMillan himself, 
ride furiously after the men, shouting to Col. Thomas to halt 
his lines ; the brave old commander — God bless him ! — is 
riding with drawn sword, in front of a line of steel bayonets, 
and cannot be reached. Nor do they halt until the colors they 
bear are planted on the open plain in sight of Winchester. 
Not a Union flag to be seen in the wide sweep to the left, not 
a Union flag in front, not a Union flag to the right ; only rebel 



RIDDLING THEIR SHIRTS. 191 

flags and batteries, one above the other, with infantry massed 
between, frowning down upon us, who are amazed at the gran- 
deur of the scene. The regiment awaits the next order, while 
their leader hastily scans the field, which at that moment his 
men hold in sole possession, 

A flash, and without a moment's warning, the spell is broken, 
when an angry roar and a horrid screeching sound is heard, as 
a shot tears through the air a few feet over our heads, and then 
we discover immediately in our left and front two pieces of 
artillery. The enemy we have driven back has retreated to the 
battery, and the field is now open between us. Quickly com- 
prehending the situation. Col. Thomas orders the regiment to 
double-quick to the tall trees ten or fifteen yards to the left, 
form on the colors, and give them a volley. In scarcely more 
time than it takes to write it, the regiment obeys, and the order 
to load and fire is accompanied by a queer remark about "rid- 
dhng their shirts." It is literally carried out ; for, while it may 
seem exaggeration to the reader who is not on the spot, yet the 
truth is that the volleys which follow instantly silence both 
pieces, and sweep every sign of life from the guns. Among 
those killed and wounded here may be mentioned Charles Jenks, 
another of Company I, a former classmate of the writer. While 
the regiment was hastily forming under fire, Jenks started on 
the run towards the colors, halted deliberately, threw up both 
arms over his head, and fell backward dead. 

This exciting affair is hardly over when white puffs of smoke 
dot the plain, and a storm of iron hail is rained upon our uncov- 
ered heads from guns planted further up the plain, one above 
and back of the other, and from different points, which bids 
fair, for a few moments, to completely wipe us out. But the 
Twelfth Connecticut has joined us on the right, and the advance 
lines of Crook's corps are rushing in from the same direction. 
Plunging shot and shell are creating terrible havoc in the tree- 
tops over our heads, when a Union flag bursts from the woods 
into the opening on our left ; then another and another, and 
the plain for a long distance to our left swarms with Union 
troops, the flags and regiments appearing eji echelon, while 



192 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

almost at the same instant the cannonading concentrated on us 
is suddenly distributed along the whole line. 

Now we realize for the first time how far the rushing bayo- 
net charge has carried our regiment in advance of the main 
army. Meanwhile Gen. Upton of the Sixth Corps, whose men 
are coming up on our left, rides up through the regiment and 
engages in hasty conversation with Thomas, concerning troops- 
obscured by smoke still further to the left. When the cloud- 
wreaths lift, and we catch sight of the familiar southern cross- 
on the enemy's battle flags, the colonel orders the sights on 
the muskets raised, and one or two quick volleys are fired upon 
their confused lines. But our flanks are now up, and with 
infantry in front, cavalry and infantry on the enemy's left flank, 
with one grand rush the Union troops close on the Confederate 
army, and the finishing charge is sharp and crushing. Brave 
Col. van Patten, although wounded, moves to the right of the 
Eighth Vermont with the One Hundred and Sixtieth New 
York, and, connecting with the right of Upton's troops, we 
advance rapidly toward the enemy's left centre, in the direction of 
their retreat, delivering an enfilading fire as we advance, receiv- 
ing in turn a heavy artillery fire. Men from Crook's corps, 
without any formation whatever, join us till we come to a stone 
wall, passing the bodies of the dead artillerists. But the 
enemy's artillery breaks down the wall, when we move back a 
few yards and then charge over beyond ; and by this time the 
entire rebel army is on a race for life, and soon after Sheridan 
is able to telegraph to the war department that he has sent the 
enemy whirling through Winchester, and that this army fought 
splendidly. 

Just as the last cannon shot is fired towards us a touching 
incident occurs. A horse comes hobbling up on three legs, 
one having been shot away just above the knee. The poor 
animal rubs his nose against the shoulders of one of the men, 
whinnying and crying for help. The men pity the affectionate 
brute, and will not shoot him till ordered to do so by an officer. 

Horace Greeley, in his carefully prepared " History of the 
Great Civil War," has singled out this bayonet charge as one 



''REMEMBER MEr 193 

worthy of special mention, for its national importance. In fact, 
it was the only actual bayonet charge in the great battle. 
Col. Thomas simply anticipated Sheridan's plans, and by this 
charge accomplished exactly what Sheridan wanted, to wit, to 
break the rebel left ; and the important thing desired by Gen. 
Sheridan was secured in twenty minutes after Thomas's regi- 
ment was once under way. And when Thoburn's gallant men 
reached the enemy in the woods in their own front, they found 
his line, to the left utterly shattered for more than three 
hundred yards by Thomas's bayonet charge. 

Another important result of this charge was that it opened the 
way for the cavalry charge which immediately followed. The 
rebel infantry here was shattered and panic-stricken, and every 
veteran, from a soldier in the ranks to the general in com- 
mand, knows that the time for a successful cavalry charge is at 
the moment the enemy at any given point is panic-stricken or 
demoralized, and just here the crowning moment came. 

During the charge Lieut. Col. Babcock, of the Seventy-fifth 
New York, who had received a terrible and mortal wound, and 
a prisoner in the hands of the enemy till now, raised himself 
from the ground, while his life blood was ebbing away, and 
waved us on, shouting: "Colonel, you are doing it gloriously! 
When you are through, remember me." Thomas waved his 
sword back' to his dear friend, and answered, " My dear fellow, 
I 'm sorry for you. I'll remember you." He kept his word 
faithfully, for the conflict had hardly ended before he sent Sergt. 
Bowman back with a detail, and had Col. Babcock carried from 
the field ; and while in the hospital, the dying officer remarked 
that he " never experienced a happier moment in his life than 
when he saw Thomas leading that bold and successful bayonet 
charge." 

New Hampshire, our sister state, furnished some of the finest 
regiments in the service, and among the number the noble 
Fourteenth, of the second division. During the battle that 
regiment gallantly penetrated the enemy's lines, when it was 
driven back with terrible loss, and the colors were supposed to 
have been captured. Instead, however, three brave men, Sergt. 
13 



194 '^HE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

F. H. Buffum (afterward captain in service of the state), Sergt. 

G. E. Howard, and Corp. H. E. Baldwin, by their heroic efforts 
saved the flags, which were adopted by Gen. Thomas ; and 
though the Fourteenth New Hampshire, as an organization, had 
no part in our bayonet charge, its colors marched proudly side 
by side with those of the old Eighth Vermont in that 
memorable and successful assault. 

Among the sad memories of the battle who can ever forget 
the exclamation of horror that unconsciously came to our lips 
when, glancing back as the regiment sprang forward, we saw 
the zigzag line of our own dead and wounded, and those of 
the line we relieved, many of them to be left behind forever, as 
the regiment never returned to the spot ; and from the com- 
mencement of the charge to its termination, we were constantly 
obliged to jump over the dead and wounded of the blue and 
the gray. So fierce had been the contest for this field and 
wood, over a thousand men had spilled their blood within the 
radius of a pistol shot of our pathway. 

The flag of the regiment which was planted with such lofty 
heroism in the open plain in front of Winchester town was the 
same sacred flag that fluttered in the soft southern breezes on 
the high blufls of the Mississippi river, and in face of the 
terrible fire for over forty days and nights at the siege of Port 
Hudson. 

What earthly power can ever obliterate from our memory the 
spectacle that closed the day ! The battle over, the last shot 
fired, the regiment halted for the night. Gen. Sheridan 
appeared once more in our midst, engaging for a moment in 
conversation with Col. Thomas. The sombre pall of night 
enveloped the strange scene; when, as if by magic, a thousand 
camp-fires leaped into the air, illuminating the great rolling 
plain and hilltops for miles around, while around those little 
fires gathered groups of brave, resolute men. Oh, my com- 
rades, for a living photograph of that scene, — the bright night 
fires, the happy, excited groups, the faces burned and blackened 
with powder, the glistening eye of speaker and listener as the 
thrilling encounter was described. Then like some strange 




Capt. George 0. Ford, Co. K. 



BRAVE DEEDS. 1 95 

dream the drama slowly changes ; the fires burn lower and 
lower, flicker, flash, and then go out in darkness. No 
mortal historian — only the recording angel of the God of bat- 
tles — can ever write down the multitude of graphic and thril- 
ling incidents related around those memorable fires. Then 
comes the moments of sorrow ; for, as the weary soldier rolls 
himself in his blanket alone, hot tears steal down his bronzed 
cheek as he thinks of his loved tent-mate also alone, dead on 
the plain below. 

INCIDENTS. 

Before the Eighth Vermont went forward to relieve Molineux, 
Company D, Capt. Getchell, and Company K, Capt. Ford, were 
detailed to fill a gap in the line between the Nineteenth Corps 
and the Eighth, where they bravely held their position until 
after Thomas had made his gallant charge through the woods, 
when they rejoined the regiment. Company F, also, which 
under Capt. Smith had been holding a diflficult and dangerous 
skirmish line, rejoined the regiment at that time ; and all three 
were complimented for their valiant behavior that morning, in 
Col. Thomas's report to the adjutant general. 

On a battlefield where the entire period of action was one 
long display of courageous endurance, it is difficult to single 
out instances of conspicuous bravery. And yet when the 
Eighth Vermont came under a hot fire, and Col. Thomas called 
for volunteers to go out in front of the line as scouts, to inform 
him if the Confederates should make any attempt to charge 
upon him. Sergeant Halladay, of Company B, and the six com- 
rades who responded, showed a degree of nerv^e that entitles 
them to special mention. Those daring fellows, taking their 
lives in their hands, crawled out a hundred yards in fi-ont of the 
regimental line, and, partially concealed by some bushes and 
rising ground, lay there under two fires and watched the move- 
ments of the enemy, who filled the woods just ahead of them. 
They could not well return, but when the charge ordered by 
Col. Thomas swept over the ground, they fell in and rejoined 
their company. 



196 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

When the Eighth first joined the army in Virginia, members 
of the Sixth Corps would often joke them about being " Louisi- 
anians " ; but after the splendid charge on the 19th, Gen. Sheri- 
dan rode along the line, and, stopping in front of the regiment, 
said : " If you are ' Louisianians,' you can fight." 

The recovery of Private Ransom Coalbeth, of Company K, 
who was wounded in the Opequon fight, was remarkable. A 
piece of shell laid open his side, tearing out two ribs, and ex- 
posing the contents of his chest. The surgeon who saw him 
on the field reported that he was past help and would not live 
an hour, and in the company reports his name was placed on 
the list of dead. But about two months after the battle, notice 
was received from the hospital at Annapolis, Md., that he was 
there, doing well and likely to recover. He did recover, and 
was able to do light duty until the close of the war. 

Before his regiment started for the front on the morning of 
the 19th, Lawson Whittemore, of Company A, wrote a letter 
to his mother, but remarked to a comrade, after finishing it, 
that it would never reach her. Nothing further might have 
been thought of the matter had not Whittemore been wounded. 
But in the morning fight a shell burst and carried away his leg. 
Speaking to Sergt. Hill, to whom he had made the remark 
about the letter, he asked : "Do you remember what I told 
you .'' That letter was in my pants pocket, and is torn into a 
thousand pieces." 

Later on, after the regiment had executed the brilliant charge 
for which the colonel has been so highly complimented, and was 
lying prostrate behind a stone wall where they had made a tem- 
porary halt, Edward Belville, of Company B, who had escaped all 
the enemy's shots, received a fatal wound from a fence rail that 
lay on top of the wall. He had risen to his feet and was watch- 
ing the Confederates, when an artillery shot struck the ground in 
his front, glanced, hit the fence rail, and sent it against him with 
tremendous force. Belville was thrown on the ground several 
feet away, and his comrades who picked him up did not think 
him seriously hurt, because he was able to go to the rear without 
further assistance. But he died in the hospital shortly after. 



HOJV GRANT TOOK IT. 1 97 

While the retreating Confederates were pursued beyond 
Winchester, and after the firing along their lines had appar- 
ently ceased, Col. H. E, Hill reports seeing one cannon wheel 
into position and give the Union victors a parting shell, which 
struck and exploded about forty yards in front of the Eighth 
Vermont, and a flying fragment knocked one man down. This 
was a rather spiteful way of acknowledging that they had been 
soundly whipped. 

After Sheridan's exultant troops had encamped for the night, 
and the kindly darkness had dropped its veil over the bloody 
field, Lieut. Lewis Childs, of McMillan's staff, who was look- 
ing for his supply trains, was obliged to dismount and lead his 
horse, to avoid treading on the wounded and dead of both 
armies, who still lay where they had fallen on the gory ground. 

The effect on Gen. Grant of " Little Phil's " first victory in 
the valley would seem to have been phenomenal. He was 
never a demonstrative man ; but an officer who was inspector 
at the headquarters of the army operating against Richmond, 
said : " The only time I ever saw Gen. Grant show any exhil- 
aration was when he received the news of Sheridan's victory at 
Winchester. He came out of his tent, threw his hat into the 
air, and then went back again. He knew that was the begin- 
ning of the end." 

The list of men killed and wounded at Opequon, on the 19th 
instant, is as follows : Killed : Corp. Marshall W. Wells and 
Lawson Whittemore, Company A ; Edmund Fisher, Charles J. 
Blood, Walter W. Pierce, Charles E. Jenks, and James F. 
Black, Company L Wounded: Lieut. Col. Henry F. Button; 
Capt. Geo. O, Ford, Company K ; Lieut. Wheaton Livingston, 
Company B ; Lieut. Nathaniel Robie, Company I ; Lieut. Perry 
Porter, Jr., Company K ; Sergt. Kirk F. Brown, Corp. Rodger 
Hovey, Michael Hurley, Wm. B. Page, and Charles S. Clark, 
Company A ; Corp. Wm. H. Henry and Edward Belville (died 
from wounds). Company B ; John Miller and Henry A. Dow, 
Company C ; Sergt. Jacob Mills, Jr., and Edgar Barstow, Com 
pany D ; James W. Averill and Thomas F. Ferrin, Company 



198 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

E ; Paul Bouskay and D. L. Payne, Company F ; Antone 
Depuys, Company G ; George P. Eddy and Charles S. Smith, 
Company I ; Corp. George Furbush, Samuel T. Penfield, Simon 
Scheikert, Wm. H. Silsby, and Lewis J. Ingalls, Company K. 

Lieut. Col. Henry F. Button, one of the most efficient and 
popular officers in the Eighth Regiment, was so severely 
wounded at the battle of Opequon, that he was unable to con- 
tinue in the service, and was honorably discharged November 
1 6th, 1864. He entered the service as captain of Company H, 
and having an active, well-disciplined mind, he soon made him- 
self master of the situation, and was equal to any emergency, 
whether in camp or under fire. He was one of the best field 
officers in the brigade, and could move a regiment in battle with 
the same ease as when on parade. For valiant service as com- 
mander of the picked detachment at the destruction of the gun- 
boat Cotton, he was complimented by Col. Thomas in his 
report made to the adjutant general of Vermont. 




Lieut. Col. Henry R Dutton. 



IX. 



FISHER'S HILL. 



What Mr. Geo. E. Pond calls the corollary to the battle of 
Opequon was fought three days later. In their flight from 
Winchester, Early's troops, pursued by a victorious and exult- 
ant army, did not pause until they reached the wellnigh im- 
pregnable fastness known as Fisher's Hill. There they took 
position on a thoroughly defended bluff that rises abruptly from 
the general surface above Strasburg, midway between Massa- 
nutten and North Mountain. The steep eastern base is guarded 
by a loop of the Shenandoah, and Tumbling Run cuts its chan- 
nel under the very brow of the crest on the north. By blocking 
the approaches on the northwest, therefore, with strong works, 
the enemy, once in possession of the crest, could consider them- 
selves tolerably secure, if not absolutely inaccessible. 

But Gen. Sheridan did not propose to neglect his advantage, 
and on the morning of the 2ist instant the Union troops were 
advanced within artillery range of Fisher's Hill, and the day 
was spent in shelling the woods on the enemy's flanks, and 
fixing a position from which to strike a decisive blow. At day- 
break the next morning the batteries opened a brisk fire, to 
which the Confederates made but a feeble reply, while the in- 
fantry line was moved into the woods north of the hill ; and 
during the forenoon strong earthworks were thrown up, though 
for what reason the soldiers did not know, unless it was to 
amuse the Johnnies, who gazed down upon them from their 
stronghold on the bluff. 



200 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

At two o'clock, p. M. the skirmishers advanced and drove a 
detachment of Confederates out of some rifle-pits in front, and 
at five o'clock Gen. Sheridan's plan of attack became apparent. 
While the movements in front had engaged the attention of 
the enemy, Crook with the Eighth Corps had executed a suc- 
cessful flank movement, surprising them and turning their left. 
This was what Sheridan had been waiting for, and as soon as 
it became certain that Crook had gained the rear, he ordered a 
general advance all along the lines. 

Col. Thomas and his regiment pushed forward with the rest 
of the Nineteenth Corps, towards the base of the bluff that 
looked so formidable, bristling with blazing guns. But it 
seemed incredible that Crook could actually be in the enemy's 
rear, or that the strong works would yield to assault. Just 
then, however. Captain Wilkinson, of Gen. Emory's staff, came 
dashing along, waving his hat and shouting, "They've left 
their guns and are running like cowards ! " Gen. Sheridan, too, 
was all along the line with his aids, impatient of delay, and 
commanding everything to be hurried forward. 

Across the ravine, through the tangled brushwood, and up 
the steep ascent scrambled the troops, to find the works 
deserted, and Early's army in full retreat along the valley road, 
their dead and wounded, batteries, and everything on wheels 
left behind, and the troops so panic-stricken at the sudden burst- 
ing of the Eighth Corps upon their unguarded rear, that they 
were indeed running like cowards, while a considerable force 
had failed to escape and were made prisoners. Twenty-one 
pieces of artillery were taken and a stand of Confederate colors, 
while the disabled and slain, numbering more than a thousand 
men, testified to the deadly havoc produced by the Union guns. 

By this time night had shut down on the scene, but Gen. 
Sheridan, determined to keep close upon the enemy's rear, or- 
dered immediate pursuit ; and the Eighth Vermont, as the 
advance of the supporting column, pressed on as rapidly as the 
thick darkness and the nature of the ground would permit. 
While they descended the slope beyond the bluff, a light sud- 
denly shone out from a small house at the foot of the hill, which 









^Or, „_ ^. GV^^ 











SAC/Cy JOHNNIES. 20I 

proved to be a signal to the enemy, for, when the regiment came 
in front of it, a Confederate battery opened fire upon them 
from the higher ground, and at the same moment the timber 
on each side of the line blazed with musketry. 

It was not an agreeable surprise for a dark night, and several 
men were wounded by the bursting shells, for the shots had 
been well aimed. One flying piece struck a musket in the 
hands of the tallest man in Company C, and cut off the breech, 
without hurting him or any one else, though he had what the 
Friends would designate as a " close call." Taking in the situa- 
tion, the captain of the company made a dash for the door of 
the house, but finding it barred, broke in a window, and, reach- 
ing in, overturned the signal lamp with his sword. Then Col. 
Thomas ordered the regiment to charge up the bank to the 
left, and the temerity of the saucy Johnnies was quickly 
punished by the capture of about two hundred and fifty, and 
the major who commanded them. Meanwhile a Union battery 
had 'arrived on the spot, and delivered a shot which forced the 
enemy into silent retirement. 

The results of that day's work, while insignificant when 
compared with Sheridan's two great battles of the valley, were 
important because of the wide disparity between the losses of 
the two armies. For while the Confederates must have lost 
over thirteen hundred men, the Union forces were reduced 
only about four hundred. But the brilliancy of this achieve- 
ment, following so closely the victory at Winchester, height- 
ened the nation's admiration of " Little Phil," and established 
him in public confidence. There were general demonstrations 
of rejoicing ; and on hearing the news Gen. Grant said to Sheri- 
dan, " Keep on, and your good work will cause the fall of Rich- 
mond." 

No members of the Eighth Vermont were killed in this 
engagement ; but George Bement and George S. Remick, 
Company A, Lieut. Edward F. Gould, Company D, and John 
B. Thomas, Company F, were wounded. Ferris Merrill, Com- 
pany G, fell out of the ranks on the night march to Woodstock, 
was taken prisoner, and died in captivity. 



202 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

After this disastrous encounter, Early's depleted army con- 
tinued to fall back up the valley, until, on the 25th, they 
reached Port Republic, far up among the head-waters of the 
Shenandoah, The Union forces pressed on in pursuit, and col- 
lected at Harrisonburg, near enough to keep a vigilant eye on 
all the enemy's movements. The cavalry under Torbert, how- 
ever, proceeded to Waynesboro, Staunton, and other points to 
the southward, destroying military stores and provisions, and 
laying waste the country, in order to cut off the enemy's means 
of subsistence. For some days Sheridan remained quietly in 
that vicinity, while carrying on correspondence with Gen. 
Grant concerning future movements. Finding that Kershaw 
with his forces had rejoined Early, and Rosser with his brigade 
had reinforced the enemy's cavalry. Gen. Sheridan came to 
the conclusion that the best policy was, " to let the burning of 
the crops of the valley be the end of this campaign, and let 
some of this [his] army go elsewhere." 

With this view the lieutenant general at length concurred, 
and Sheridan set about the cruel though necessary business of 
devastating the country, and burning everything on which 
either man or beast could subsist. The measure very likely 
caused no little suffering to innocent, defenceless people, and 
the fair land soon became a smoking, blackened waste. 

TOM'S BROOK. 

In carrying out the orders received from Gen. Grant, Sheri- 
dan began to move his army northward again during the first 
days of October ; and Early, construing this retrogression as a 
symptom of weakness, or, what is more likely, getting so des- 
perate'for lack of subsistence that he was obliged to offer battle 
or hasten to some more hospitable region with his famished 
army, pushed on in pursuit. The enemy's cavalry under 
Rosser, the new commander, were particularly inclined to press 
upon the Union lines, and caused them much annoyance. This 
led on the 9th instant to a cavalry engagement, which was 
interesting to the Eighth Vermont, chiefly because a portion of 



SEEING A BATTLE. 203 

the men chanced to be on picket duty in a position from which 
they could witness the fight, while at one stage of the action 
there was a probability that they, and perhaps the entire regi- 
ment, might come under the Confederate fire. 

An officer of the Eighth, who was in command of the pickets 
at the time, has furnished quite a graphic account of what he 
and many of his comrades saw of this lively battle. As he de- 
scribes it, Rosser set about his new task with great energy, and 
pressed Custer, who was his classmate, on the back and middle 
roads, while Lomax, with another brigade of Confederate horse, 
moved down the valley pike against Merritt. Gen. Sheridan 
resented this boldness, and on the afternoon of the 8th rode to 
the rear to investigate. Coming upon the Eighth Vermont as 
it lay resting after the toilsome march, he stopped some mo- 
ments and talked with Col. Thomas. He was in excellent 
spirits, and said that the enemy had a new cavalry commander 
from Richmond, who thought that the Union army was run- 
ning away, and was consequently very saucy and pushing, and 
needed a fight to cool him off. And Sheridan added that he 
was going to find out whether his army were running away or 
not, and at the same time settle with this new general. 

The place was near Tom's Brook, three or four miles south 
of Strasburg, and the picket line was pushed well out. Just 
beyond, the enemy's cavalry were hammering away with great 
vigor and using their artillery freely, and the Union troopers 
were steadily driven back. The brisk firing continued till long 
after dark that night, and at last the two lines approached so 
near that shots began to fall among the pickets, and one man 
was wounded. To the picket officer it seemed that Sheridan's 
" settlement " with Rosser was showing a balance on the wrong 
side of the account that might prove him insolvent, unless the 
Union infantry took a hand in figuring up the bill. 

During the night which followed, the utmost vigilance was 
maintained along that picket line, no member of which showed 
any symptoms of being sleepy ; and before retiring to head- 
quarters " Little Phil " gave the famous verbal order to Torbert 
to start out at daylight next morning, and " whip the rebel cav- 



204 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

airy or get whipped himself." In his report Sheridan changes 
the wording of this order somewhat, but Torbert's version is 
believed to be right, since it sounds like Sheridan, who always 
went into a fight intending that somebody should get soundly 
whipped. 

At daybreak the cavalry was in the saddle, Custer confront- 
ing Rosser on the back road, and Merritt facing Lomax on the 
pike. The opposing forces were nearly equal, and each com- 
mander had a full battery, so that the spectators on the picket 
line had a prospect of witnessing an intensely interesting con- 
test. As the Union cavalry deployed in full view of the foe^ 
the latter opened a furious artillery fire upon them, and pres- 
ently met their advance with carbines. But the Union troopers 
moved firmly out ; and as the horses set into a gallop, they gave 
a prolonged yell, brandished their gleaming swords, and burst 
upon the over-confident Johnnies, breaking their line in pieces. 

The fight lasted for about two hours, during which Rosser 
struggled with great desperation and a momentary success ; but 
no subsequent effort could regain the set-back he received at 
the outset, and soon his entire force was flying in wild confu- 
sion. All their artillery, except a single piece, was left behind, 
and Torbert, whose men were in high spirits, chased the fugi- 
tives along the valley for a space of fully. twenty-five miles, 
before breakfast. 

Before the defeat was clearly discerned by the excited 
pickets, the officer says he was somewhat startled by seeing a 
full rebel battery come into his line, the riders wearing the 
gray ; but in a moment the cause of the strange movement 
became apparent, for he discovered that the pieces were cap- 
tured, and under the direction of soldiers in blue. 

Everybody in camp that day was in rare good humor. Gen. 
Sheridan could not move without being greeted with cheers,, 
and the air was full of jokes and gibes about the new Confeder- 
ate general. There was some reason to believe that the Fed- 
eral army would shortly have all the enemy's heavy guns in safe 
keeping ; and not long after this the mob in Richmond painted 
on some pieces of artillery marked to be sent to Gen. Early,. 
"In care of Gen. Sheridan." 




Lieut-General P. H. Sheridan. 



X. 



BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK. 

While the two hostile armies had been marching up and 
down the Shenandoah valley, improving eveiy chance to deal 
each other crippling blows, the sun was moving to liis winter 
quarters in the south. The pensive autumn days came, when 
nature seemed to deck the far blue hills and nearer landscape 
in "splendors not her own "; when forests put on their dying 
brilliancy, and gorgeous sunsets left the world aflame. 

Unconsciously the veteran regiment, whose devious career 
lends interest to these pages, were going to their " last weird 
battle in the west," after which those who escaped would be 
exempt from the toils and cruelties of fighting for the remain- 
der of their days. But the release was to cost them the blood- 
iest sacrifice they had yet laid on the altar of patriotism. 
Already had their precious colors passed through a terrible 
ordeal in the white heat of slaughter, and the company rolls 
had strangely changed, since first the warm-hearted volunteers 
answered to their names at Camp Holbrook. But the defiant 
spirit of rebellion, that had so long hovered over the valley, was 
not yet satiated with human blood, and thousands on both sides 
were yet to fall, before its cursed shadow would flee into the 
distant mountains, and haunt the fair land no more. 

Early and his generals did not lack courage in the field or 
skill i^i strategy, nor were they yet conquered. Since the flames 
had devoured the abundance on which they had hoped to sub- 
sist as long as they required to hold possession of the valley, 



206 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

they were reduced to the necessity of choosing between imme- 
diate retreat and aggressive operations. They decided on the 
latter, and, inasmuch as the case was desperate, all their mili- 
tary genius was laid under tribute to devise means by which to 
visit upon the Union army a surprise as sudden and complete 
as that which had cost them such a mortifying rout at Fisher's 
Hill. The experience of the last month had taught them some- 
thing of the methods of Gen. Sheridan, and it was not their 
fault if they did not better the instruction. 

The Confederates possessed one advantage over their enemy 
which could scarcely be rated too highly. They had an estab- 
lished signal station on Three Top, the highest point of land in 
the region, from which they had never been permanently dis- 
lodged, and from which they could always overlook the Union 
forces, and gain an accurate knowledge of their position. By 
this means, when Early once resolved on striking his opponent 
by stealth, he was enabled to plan a battle which was certainly 
the most unique, if not one of the most masterly attacks during 
the war. 

About the middle of October the Union army was concen- 
trated near the confluence of Cedar Creek and the Shenandoah, 
a short distance north of Strasburg, in full view of the Confed- 
erate signal station. This was a position very favorable to the 
designs of Gen. Early, for in planning an attack, he could have 
the benefit of the actual battle-ground spread out like a pano- 
rama under his eye. As he and his officers surveyed the Union 
camp on the i8th instant, they discovered the situation of 
Sheridan's three army corps to be thus : They were encamped 
just east of the creek, near the pike leading from Winchester, 
with Strasburg in their front and Middletown in the rear ; the 
Eighth occupied the left of the pike in two divisions, the first 
entrenched on a mound east of the stream, the second also on 
high ground a little to the north, and close to the pike ; the 
Nineteenth Corps held the right of the Eighth, and was en- 
camped on an elevated plain behind earthworks, with the pike 
on the left, the creek in front, and Meadow brook (a branch of 
Cedar Creek) on the right ; beyond the brook the Sixth formed 



THE EVE OF BATTLE. 20J 

the right flank of the army, and was also entrenched ; the 
cavalry and artillery were disposed in near proximity. 

On the eve of the battle which the enemy was preparing- 
with the utmost secrecy, two untoward circumstances seemed 
to favor their designs. Gen. Sheridan was absent from the 
army, attending to important business in Washington, so that 
the command of the troops devolved on Gen. Wright, of the 
Sixth Corps. The other circumstance alluded to was that, on 
the night before the surprise occurred, Wright and his subor- 
dinate officers came to the conclusion that Early was too far 
away to cause any apprehension, and the Union army slept 
with a feeling of profound security. While it might be unjust 
to charge the officers in command with neglecting to throw 
around their camp the proper safeguards, it was a fact that 
they trusted too readily to the results of what was considered 
a thorough reconnoissance to determine the position of the 
enemy, and the morning of the fight found them unprepared. 

Whether Early purposed to mislead his antagonist as to his 
whereabouts or not, his whole available force was hovering so 
near at hand that, during the night of the i8th instant, he was 
able to march them in perfect silence along the to them well- 
known mountain ways, and post them by divisions so skilfully, 
that at morning light they could fall upon their enemy with the 
most sudden and effective surprise. 

But while a sense of absolute security prevailed in camp 
the night before the battle, there was one officer who had his 
suspicions that danger was close at hand, and, after making a 
personal investigation, he caused his fears to be reported at 
headquarters. Col. Thomas observed symptoms of impending 
trouble, and, after the other officers had retired to their tents, ^e 
moved anxiously about, by no means satisfied that all was well. 
He was on duty as corps officer of the day,' and during the 
afternoon, while on the watch, he discovered through his glass 
men in citizens' dress talking earnestly together and pointing 
here and there to the lines. What he saw strongly inclined 
Thomas to the opinion that the enemy had not abandoned their 
front, all reports to the contrary notwithstanding. 



208 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Finally Col. Thomas called the attention of Gen. Emory to 
what he had observed, and made known his suspicions. The 
general appeared to consider the matter of sufificient gravity to 
be reported at headquarters, and asked him as a personal favor 
to call on Gen. Wright and repeat the story to him. But 
Wright did not think there was occasion for undue anxiety, and 
to quiet the colonel's uneasiness said : "I have ordered Crook 
to send out a strong reconnoitring force." 

But Col. Thomas considered it prudent to post his picket 
lines with unusual care, and remained in the saddle through the 
entire night. Having made his post-midnight rounds among 
the guard, he rode out beyond the picket line, and soon found 
himself in a ravine confronted by Confederate soldiers, who 
insolently demanded : " Surrender, you d — d Yankee !" " No, 
sir," said the colonel, " it 's too early in the morning ! Besides, 
your request was not respectful." And striking spurs into his 
horse, he dashed up a steep bank, followed by a shower of bul- 
lets and a rebel yell. 

Col. J. Hotchkiss, chief of engineers on Gen. Early's staff, 
during a recent call on the writer, referred to the battle of 
Cedar Creek, and stated some interesting circumstances con- 
nected with it. He said that during the afternoon before the 
engagement took place, he and another officer dressed in citi- 
zens' clothes and crept all along the Union picket lines, exam- 
ining every point, and getting a large amount of information of 
value in planning the attack. It is possible that the twain 
were the very men whom Col. Thomas saw apparently studying 
the situation. Shortly before the attack opened in the morn- 
ing a heavy rumbling sound reached the Confederate head- 
quarter, and Early remarked anxiously : " It 's all up with us. 
We are discovered, and that is the enemy's artillery." Hotch- 
kiss thought not, and crawling out once more along the picket 
lines, he found them in quiet order. The noise proceeded from 
a wagon train starting for Winchester. Col. Hotchkiss said 
further that they were very desirous to capture Sheridan, and 
had a force of one thousand picked men, who were to push on to 
the Belle Grove House, when the battle opened, and take him 



A BRIGADE SEA'T TO DEATH. 209 

prisoner ; but the movements of the Union cavalry intercepted 
the plan. This fact would indicate that Early was not aware 
of Sheridan's absence. 

Col. Thomas had scarcely reached the camp after his escape 
from the Confederate skirmishers, when the noise of* heavy 
firing was heard along the front of the Union lines, and Crook's 
first division of the Eighth Corps, which occupied the extreme 
left, was driven back in confusion. What followed is told in 
detail later on. Kershaw advanced straight upon the Eighth 
Corps from the creek, while Gordon, Pegram, and Ramseur 
moved up on the left ; Wharton, too, was already posted on the 
pike in front of the Nineteenth Corps, where he could pour an 
enfilading fire into the Union lines beyond the bridge. 

When the lines of the Nineteenth Corps were hastily formed 
for action, Col. Thomas took command of McMillan's brigade', 
to which his own regiment belonged, and Maj. Mead led the 
Eighth Vermont. Before the troops realized what had hap- 
pened they found themselves in the thick of the fight, and 
made the startling discovery that the Union lines were giving 
way before the fierce onslaught of the enemy. It soon became 
evident that Crook's gallant regiments had fallen back before 
the resolute Confederates, and were retreating across the pike, 
hotly pursued. An effort must instantly be made to relieve 
them, and, even at the cost of annihilation, a force must be 
sent out to hold the enemy in check till the Sixth and Nine- 
teenth Corps had time to form. 

Col. Thomas and his brigade were close at hand, and, just as 
the gray dawn revealed the terrible slaughter beyond, Gen. 
Emory ordered them to advance across the pike — a single, un- 
supported brigade — against the best divisions of Early's army. 
Instantly Maj. Mead shouted, " Fall in. Eighth Vermont ! " and 
taking position in the line they moved up the hill to the edge 
of the wood from which Crook's troops had fled. Lieut. James 
Welch, with Company G, advanced into the woods as skirmish- 
ers, and were soon hurled back by the overwhelming forces of 
the enemy. But the brigade knew why it had been sent there, 
and firmly met the shock on ground which could not long be 
14 



2IO THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

held. Mead was soon wounded, and passed the, command to 
Capt. McFarland, of Company A, who, when the brigade sullenly 
retired, took back with him less than a third of his gallant men. 
It was a fearful necessity that required a detachment to be 
sent to almost instant destruction, in order to gain time, a 
trying alternative that, thank God, seldom presents itself in 
the history of warfare. When the veterans visited the battle- 
field in 1883, and were recalling the experiences of the morning 
surprise. Gen. Emory took Col. Thomas by the hand, and said, 
with much feeling : " Thomas, I never gave an order in my life 
that cost me so much pain as it did to order you across the 
pike that morning. I never expected to see you again." But 
it has its parallels. 

At Chancellorsville, when Jackson made his famous flank 
attack, routing the Eleventh Corps, Gen. Sickles ordered Pleas- 
onton to take command of the artillery, and Pleasonton hastily 
collected twenty-two guns of his own and the Third Corps', plac- 
ing them in Hazel Grove, on an eminence that was really the key 
to the field. The Confederates were so close at hand that there 
was no time to load or aim the guns. In another moment the 
position would be lost. Something must be done instantly to 
delay Jackson. Turning to Maj. Peter Keenan, of the Eighth 
Pennsylvania cavalry, Pleasonton ordered him to charge the ten 
thousand of the enemy with his four hundred. Keenan knew it 
was certain annihilation to his command to hurl it into that mass 
of infantry, but he obeyed, and nobly rode to his death. His 
charge gave the batteries time to get ready, and Jackson was 
stopped. 

History repeats itself. The charge of the Light Brigade was 
not a nobler act than the charge of that four hundred Union 
cavalry, Keenan's conduct rivaled that of Arnold Winckelried 
in Switzerland, and the Chevalier d' Assas in France. The 
disparity of forces was not much greater than that between 
the gallant brigade at Cedar Creek and the four exultant and 
victorious Confederate divisions that it was ordered to delay 
that the Sixth Corps might get ready. 

Sheridan himself, early in his career in the war, at Stone 



TESTIMONIALS. 211 

River sent a brigade to almost certain death in order to gain 
time for the rest of his division, and the charge cost him the life 
of the gallant Gen. Sill. Sheridan's whole division in that battle, 
in its relation to the army of the Cumberland, exemplified in a 
marked manner the conduct of Thomas's brigade at Cedar 
Creek. 

The act of a single brigade, however brave, is but a small 
factor in the sum total of a day's fighting like that at Cedar 
Creek. Other troops, as heroic as those led by Thomas, went 
quickly to their death in those grim morning hours. But a 
peculiar exigency has singled out the deed and given it his- 
toric prominence. In commenting upon it the historian of the 
Tenth Vermont Regiment says: 

"Col. Stephen Thomas, the veteran commander of the Eighth Vermont 
Regiment, and tlie officer who did so mucli to mend the broken lines of his 
corps at Winchester, on the 19th of September, now in command of McMil- 
lan's brigade, immediately threw it across the pike and pkmged with it into 
the woods, where he tried to arrest the fugitives from the Eighth Corps, and 
attempted to beat back the rebel host that was then pressing unopposed in 
pursuit. But he was soon overwhelmed and obliged to retire, leaving fully 
one third of his men dead and wounded on the ground." 

Brig. Gen. McMillan says in his report that, in executing 
Emory's orders, he " put in the Second Brigade, Col. Thomas, 
in the position indicated [ across the pike ], occupying a deep 
ravine and thick copse of wood, from which it was soon driven 
by overwhelming force, but not until completely flanked, and 
nearly one third of its members killed, wounded, or captured." 

In the history of the Fourteenth New Hampshire Regiment 
occurs this paragraph : " Col. Thomas's brigade of the first 
division had faced to the rear, and advanced across the pike to 
meet the enemy, and fought him there until completely over- 
borne by weight of numbers." The history of the Twenty- 
ninth Maine also says : ■ "Our Second Brigade was sent under 
Col. Thomas, a fighter of the bull-dog kind, to reinforce Crook's 
command, and they made a bull-dog fight of it, across the pike 
near the camp that Crook had been driven from, as many dead 
in blue and gray testified to us who saw them the next day." 



212 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

It seems tliat McMillan's brigade had already been pushed out in the 
direction of the enemy, and to enable the West Virginian army to rally. 
.• . . A roar of musketry from the woods told lis that McMillan's bri- 
gade had opened its struggle, but did not tell us how hopelessly it was over- 
matched, flanked on the left as it was by Ram^eur, and charged in front 
and on the right by Kershaw. ... In the haste of slaughter men could 
not reload, but fought with their bayonets and clubbed rifles. After the 
battle was over we found corpses here with their skulls crushed by the blows 
of musket-butts, and with their life-blood clotted around the triangular 
wounds made by bayonets. . . . During the day the brigade lost more 
than one third of its fighting men, the greater part of them on this horrible 
hill of sacrifice, where it offered itself up for the salvation of the army. 
— J. IV. de forest, in Harpers Magazine. 

Our brigade under Colonel, since Brigadier General, and now Lieutenant 
Governor Stephen Thomas, of the Eighth Vermont, which regiment it in- 
cluded, was formed for the march at the time the fight commenced, having 
been ordered out on an early reconnoissance ; it plunged at once across the 
pike into the woods, stemming rout, and facing the enemy. Gen. Wright 
endeavored to use it as a nucleus on which to reform Crook's command, and 
so gain time to bring up the rest of the army to the strong line of the turn- 
pike. . . . The Eighth Corps refused to rally, and in a few moments 
Thomas's brigade was swept back overpowered, retiring sullenly, and leav- 
ing in the forest the largest proportionate loss suffered by any brigade during 
the day. — Col. A. F. IValker, in " The Vermont Brigade in the Shenan- 
doaJi luiliey.''^ 

In a letter addressed to a member of the Committee of Pub- 
lication, dated "Staunton, Va., April 6, 1886," is the following 
language : 

.... Few, if any, troops, even the best of veterans, could resist being 
demoralized by the inundation of such a mass of excited fugitives, and Gen. 
Thomas's command must have been under most admirable discipline to 
have been able to rally and form, under such circumstances, and for a time 
successfully oppose the onward rush of heavy masses of Confederate troops 
flushed with the excitement of hitherto unopposed success. Such a display 
of heroic fortitude by the men and by the leader of your command is 
worthy of the highest praise and admiration. The losses in killed and 
wounded that you sustained in this brief shock of battle by your own gal- 
lant regiment and by those associated with it, are the best proofs of the 
fierceness of our attack and of the courage and obstinacy of j^our defence. 
Your stay in the position under such odds must, of necessity, have been 
short, for you were not only pressed upon and outflanked by the masses of 



A FILIAL TRIBUTE. 213 

Kershaw's and of Gordon's men on the front, but were soon threatened by 
the advance of Wharton's men along the turnpike, on your right, for as soon 
as Kershaw had successfully passed the ford at Bowman's mill, Gen. Early 
had in person ridden rapidly to our left to Wharton's command, advancing 
by the turnpike, to urge it and our artillery, all of which was in that part of 
our line, into action, especially to an attack on your force?, part of the 
Nineteenth Corps, and all of the Sixth encamped north of the turnpike, and 
that had not been struck by the attack of Kershaw and Gordon. But your 
stay was long enough to enable the Sixth Corps to form and swing into 
position on the ridge beyond Meadow run, where it had been encamped 
before any portion of our attack could reach it, and so, fully organized, it 
was able to resist for some hours our efforts to dislodge it from our flank; 
and when compelled by the weight of our artillery to fall back, it appeared 
to do so in good order, so that it was in condition to participate in your sub- 
sequent successful attack on our line of battle just beyond Middletown. 

The soldierly honors of the day on your side, the honors that always have 
been and that always will be awarded to the men that unflinchingly take any 
odds when duty calls to action, appear, beyond question, from the stand- 
point of present information, to belong to the brave men of your command. 
In recognition of their display of such courage, it gives me pleasure to have 
it in my power to salute them, whether living honored among their com- 
rades or dead on the field of honorable contest. 

Very truly yours, 

Jed. Hotchkiss, 

Formerly Topographical Engineer 
of the Army of the Valley District of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. 

Following such testimony, the words of Gen. Emory himself, 
concerning the execution of his order, add peculiar significance 
to that notable act of heroism, and it is a pleasure to insert in 
these memorial pages the portrait and letter of their old com- 
mander, under whom the regiment served with a glad confi- 
dence. Maj. Gen. Wm. H. Emory was a brave and skilful 
leader, whose military judgment every soldier felt to be reliable. 
In camp and field alike, on the march and under the hottest 
fire, he had a personal care for his men and inspired them by 
his own courageous example. His ride in front of the lines 
during the battle of Opequon made the Green Mountain 
veterans confident of victory, and his firm commands after the 
morning surprise at Cedar Creek, reassured and gave them 
hope. 



214 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Washington, Oct. r6, 1885. 
My Dear Col. Cari'Entkr : 

I am very glad to learn that you are about to write a regimental history 
of the Eighth Vermont United States Volunteers. When I sent its heroic 
colonel, Gen. Thomas, across the pike at Cedar Creek, to support the 
Eighth Corps under Gen. Crook, I was immediately occupied in defending 
my own headquarters, and in changing the front of battle of the Nineteenth 
Corps, which was assailed in the rear by the total collapse of the Eighth 
Corps. But I well knew the gallantry of the Eighth Vermont and of the 
officers who commanded it, and I felt safe in doing the only thing that could 
have been done under the terrible circumstances surrounding us. 

Both in Louisiana and in the valley of the Slienandoah, the Eighth Ver- 
mont was a solid and reliable regiment, that could be depended on under 
the scorching heats of the South as well as the rigorous winter climate of 
the Shenandoah. 

I remain, Colonel, with great regard. 

Your comrade and friend, 

W. H. Emory. 

Col. Herbert E. Hill, who has made a faithful study of the 
history of the battle, contributes the following description of 
the movements in which his regiment took part. 



THE MORNING FIGHT. 

In the morning fight at Cedar Creek, the colors of the Eighth 
Vermont passed through a terrible ordeal, and received a 
bloody baptism. But for the heroic and loyal souls in that 
little band, who stood up nobly against fearful odds on the 
memorable morning of October 19th, 1864, the regimental 
standard would never have come out of the battle triumphant. 

The thrilling story of the fight over the standards is no myth. 
It was a horrid, desperate, hand-to-hand encounter for posses- 
sion of the flags — a fierce, excited, and daring foe on one side, 
loyal and equally brave men on the other. Gen Crook's corps, 
located on our left and partially in our front, had been surprised, 
overborne, and swept away. Gen. Thomas, after a furious ride, 
hotly pursued and barely escaping with his life, had arrived 
from the picket line, and, by direct verbal order of Maj. Gen. 
Emory, had led his brigade forward across the pike, a mere 




Maj, Gen, Wm. H. Emory, 



STRUGGLING FOR THE FLAGS. 21 S 

handful of men, to meet and resist whole divisions made up of 
the flower of the rebel army. 

By the fortune of war, the Eighth Vermont, under Maj. 
Mead, occupied the most exposed position in the brigade, as 
the enemy, with deafening yells, were moving swiftly in from 
front and flank. As the great drops of rain and hail precede the 
hurricane, so now the leaden hail filled the air, seemingly from 
all directions, while bursting shell from the enemy's cannon on 
the opposite hill created havoc on our only flank not yet exposed 
to the rebel infantry. Regiment after regiment of the Eighth 
Corps had crumbled away and gone past to the rear ; our two 
companion regiments, the Twelfth Connecticut and One Hun- 
dred and Sixtieth New York, terribly smitten, clung tenaciously 
to us, their love as cordially reciprocated ; yet the sudden rush 
of the enemy from every direction, in their yellowish suits, • 
breaking through even the short intervals between the com- 
mands, forced each regiment to fight its own battle ; and so the 
Eighth Vermont was practically alone for a time, — and who can 
count such moments? — as the swarming enemy broke upon it 
with almost resistless fury. 

Suddenly a mass of rebels confronted the flags, and 
with hoarse shouts demanded their surrender. Defiant shouts 
went back. "Never!" "Never!" And then, amid tremendous 
excitement, commenced one of the most desperate and ugly 
hand-to-hand conflicts over the flags that has ever been recorded. 
Men seemed more like demons than human beings, as they 
struck fiercely at each other with clubbed muskets and- bayo- 
nets. A rebel of powerful build, but short in stature, attempted 
to bayonet Corporal Worden of the color-guard. Worden, a 
tall, sinewy man, who had no bayonet on his musket, parried 
his enemy's thrusts until some one, I think Sergt. Brown, shot 
the rebel dead. A rebel soldier then levelled his musket and 
shot Corporal Petre, who held the colors, in the thigh, — a 
terrible wound, from which he died that night. He cried out : 
"Boys, leave me ; take care of yourselves and the flag ! " But 
in that vortex of hell men did not forget the colors ; and as 
Petre fell and crawled away to die, they were instantly seized and 



2l6 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

borne aloft by Corporal Perham, and were as c|uickly demanded 
again, by a rebel who eagerly attempted to grasp them ; but 
Sergt. Shores of the guard placed his musket at the man's breast 
and fired, instantly killing him. But now another flash, and a 
cruel bullet from the dead rebel's companion killed Corporal 
Perham, and the colors fall to the earth. Once more, amid 
terrific yells, the colors went up, this time held by Corporal 
Blanchard ; — and the carnage went on. 

Lieut. Cooper was seen to raise his arm in the air ; and 
shouting " Give it to them, boys ! " he too was stricken with a 
death wound, and his white, sad, dead face is one of the living 
memories of the spot. Lieut. Cooper's death was instantly 
avenged, however, by Sergt. Hill, of Company A, who shot the 
rebel. Hill then turned to assist a wounded companion who 
had fallen at his side, when an excited enemy made a lunge at 
him, his bayonet gliding between the body and arm. He sprang 
quickly away, and by an adroit movement knocked the rebel 
down with clubbed musket, and continued fighting until sur- 
rounded and forced into the enemy's ranks, but refused to 
surrender, when a side shot tore away his belt, cartridge box, 
and the flesh to his backbone, which crippled him to the ground ; 
but when Gordon's divisions swept the spot, some of the rebels 
wearing blue coats supposed to be taken from Crook's men, 
Hill rose and joined them in the charge, shouting with the 
rebels, and actually firing harmless shots at his own regiment. 
He was once challenged by a rebel officer, to whom he 
answered that he belonged to the Fourth Georgia. 

At the next stand made by the brigade on the pike, Hill 
rushed into the Union line, although exposed to the fire of his 
friends as well as his foes, and continued fighting till he sank 
to the ground from loss of blood, fell into the enemy's hands, 
and was again rescued at night. 

The fight for the colors continued. A rebel discharged his 
rifle within a foot of Corporal Bemis of the color guard, and 
wounded him, but was in turn shot dead by one of our men. 
A little later, Sergt. Shores and Lemuel Simpson were 
standing together by the flags, when three rebels attacked and 



FALLING FROM THE RAXKS. 21/ 

ordered them to surrender ; but as they (the enemy) had just 
discharged their pieces, Simpson immediately fired and shot 
one, while Shores bayoneted the other. Sergt. Moran, whose 
devotion to the flag was intensified by the regiment's forty-four 
days' heroic action before Port Hudson, marvellously escaped, 
for he was in the hottest of the fight, and held the United 
States flag all the while, several times assisting in protecting 
the colors. 

But as the enemy crowded on, a hundred rebels took the 
place of the dozen grasping for the flags. Sergt. Lamb, a noble, 
generous fellow, was shot through the lungs and taken prisoner, 
but later he fell into our hands again, and then died in great 
agony. Capt. Howard was twice wounded while within a few 
feet of the flags and almost in the centre of the savage melee, 
but he managed to hobble away when the regiment was swept 
back. Capt. Hall, honest and fearless, whose memory is 
sacred, gave his last order as he yielded to a deadly wound. 

Capt. Ford was shot through both legs by bullets coming 
from opposite directions, and fell flat on his face, but refused 
to surrender, struggled to his' feet, and escaped in the excite- 
ment. Capt. Smith, who so coolly led the skirmish line at 
Winchester, swells the bloody list. Maj. Mead, afterwards 
colonel, while fearlessly facing the enemy, was badly wounded 
in the side, and shortly turned the command over to Capt. 
McFarland. 

Later on, the brigade flag was in imminent danger of being 
captured by the enemy, when Capt. Franklin, with half a dozen 
of his company, furiously attacked the rebels who were 
struggling for it, and rescued it from their ckitch. Moving 
back he was wounded, but gallantly remained with the regiment 
during the afternoon. Lieut. Cheney was mortally wounded 
and fell heavily to the ground. Lieut. Bruce, while beating- 
back a foe with his sword, was severely wounded. Lieut. Welch, 
who so gallantly led the skirmish line at daybreak, and was 
then fighting like a tiger, was shot in the thigh, but stood his 
ground till the regiment went back. Private Austin received 
a terrible blow on his head from the butt of a rebel musket, 



2i8 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

instantly killing him. Capt. Shattuck, after receiving a bad 
wound, bravely continued with his men, and Lieuts. Sargent 
and Carpenter joined the list of heroes who shed their blood 
around the flags ; while scores of brave fellows in the ranks 
were torn and shattered in a manner shocking to behold. But 
why continue the list ? Why open afresh the ugly wounds ? 
Those not mentioned, who stood up so nobly, were every whit 
as brave as all who fell, whose names appear elsewhere on the 
" immortal roll of honor." 

The fearful carnage had swept through the entire command, 
and over one half the regiment was wounded or killed, when 
the third color-bearer, Corporal Blanchard, -was also killed, and 
the silken colors, their soft folds pierced with bullets, and 
their third bearer weltering in his blood, bowed low to the 
earth amidst triumphant yells of the enemy ; but to their 
chagrin in a few seconds it was again flaunting in their faces. 
Bleeding, stunned, and being literally cut to pieces, but refus- 
ing to surrender colors or men, falling back only to prevent 
being completely encircled, the noble regiment had accom- 
plished its mission. 

Col. Thomas with his brave brigade blocked the advance of 
the rebel divisions, and actually held the Confederate army at 
bay until the Union commander could form the lines on grounds 
of his own choice. In this terrible charge the Eighth Vermont, 
the Twelfth Connecticut, and the One Hundred and Sixtieth 
New York, were almost annihilated. Our own regiment lost 
over one hundred gallant fellows, out of one hundred and fifty- 
nine engaged, and thirteen out of sixteen commissioned offi- 
cers, who were killed or wounded in the fearful struggle, and 
many of those who fell had been shot several times. 

It was useless to stand against such fearful odds ; neither 
could such frightful butchery be endured longer ; and the 
regiment, which had maintained its organization and gloriously 
performed its mission in holding the enemy in check, now 
almost completely surrounded by dense masses of rebel infantry, 
was for a few moments tossed about as a leaf in the small, fitful 
circle of a whirlwind, and then by a mighty gust lifted from 



OXE LONE BRIGADE. 219 

the ground and swept from the field, but not without the flags. 
Moran, Shores, and Holt, three trusty sergeants, and Corp. 
Worden, with others who had become wedded to the standards, 
would as soon have thought of leaving their limbs on the field 
as the flags, now more than sacred. But the flags still floated 
over our heads, and a star of great brilliancy had been added 
to the crown of the state which gave us an Ethan Allen and a 
Stephen Thomas. 

When nearly encircled and driven from the pike, the com- 
mand of Col. Thomas made another stand northeast of Sheridan's 
headquarters, to support the only piece of Union artillery that 
had not been withdrawn from the field. For this purpose the 
colonel collected fugitives from the Eighth Corps, and with his 
own brigade formed a line, and held the position until a portion 
of a wagon train entangled in Meadow run could pass on and 
escape. While thus engaged Gen. Crook rode up, and, after 
saluting him. Col. Thomas said : " I've taken the liberty to put 
some of your men into this line in order to save that train." 
" All right ! " replied Crook, as he rode away as he came, 
unattended by even an orderly. Then instead of moving 
directly to the rear, as the rest of the Union troops had done, 
Thomas took his command round the front of the Belle Grove 
House, and made a second stand just west of it. Then he 
crossed Meadow run and made a third stand in the rear of the 
camp deserted by the Sixth Corps. It was here that the bri- 
gade flagstaff was cut down by a Confederate cannon shot. 

Still, notwithstanding the advantages gained and the gallant 
contest for every foot of ground, the enemy was haughty, arro- 
gant, and aggressive, and our army had been driven back sev- 
eral miles, when Sheridan arrived and here " took the affair in 
hand," and quickly united the corps. 

All the long morning the cry was heard on every side, 
"Where's Sheridan.''" "Where's Sheridan.''" but no reply 
came through the clenched lips, until finally, at a quarter of 
ten o'clock, Sheridan, mounted on his black horse Winchester, 
which was covered with foam, swept up from the pike amid 
great cheering into the midst of his broken regiments, — a 



220 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

great light in a dark valley. The despair of the morning's 
awful struggle was now soon to give way to the ecstasy of vic- 
tory. 

THE AFTERNOON FIGHT. 

In the after part of the day the Eighth Regiment, reinforced 
by detachments from the picket line, bore an honorable part 
with the Second Brigade in deciding the Union victory. 

During Sheridan's absence in the morning, the army, as 
has been described, experienced all that is known under the 
name of defeat. The enemy had halted in his hot pursuit to 
reorganize preparatory to the final move forward, which should 
completely annihilate the Federal army. Sheridan hastily 
formed a Hne across the valley for the purpose of checking the 
advancing foe, and to that end phantom breastworks had been 
hurriedly thrown up by means that under almost any other cir- 
cumstances would have been thought out of the question and 
useless. Small trees were cut down and thrown in front ; with 
bayonets earth and stones were dug up or loosened, and with 
coffee cups this was thrown in among the brush and leaves, 
together forming a slight protection against the enemy's bul- 
lets, whenever he should advance again. Imagine, then, the 
surprise and amazement when Sheridan dashed over the field and 
gave us the order to advance and meet the enemy in open fight. 

It was now life or death, and every man knew it. The order 
was instantly obeyed, and what were left of the Second Brigade 
sprang over the little earthworks, and moved rapidly to the 
front until they approached the timber. Here were scattering 
trees with thick underbrush, from which there suddenly burst 
a sheet of flame and smoke, before which the regiment slightly 
recoiled, so terrible was the shock. Crashes of musketry rolled 
down the entire line to the left. Sheridan was riding furiously 
among the troops. Regimental officers were shouting their 
commands, and the hideous rebel yell rent the air and added to 
the general confusion. The rebel commander also realized 
Sheridan's presence, but with pangs of pain, for he well knew 
that the lightning strokes and the tiger springs of the Union 



HEADQUARTERS ARMY 

OF T H E 

UNITE D STATES. 



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A TURX OF THE TIDE. 221 

reo-iments against his front, were being directed by a masterly 
hand. 

Lieut: Downs, at my side, shouted " Forward, men, forward ! " 
Other company commanders, including Capt. McFarland, who 
had commanded the regiment after Mead was wounded, and 
Capt. Franklin, sprang forward and urged the men on. Quickly 
the regiment dashed into the thick cedars, pouring a rapid 
volley into the very faces of hidden foes. This rush brought us 
into close cjuarters ; and, our own volleys exhausted, we again 
met spattering crashes of musketry following in quick succes- 
sion, and the regiment once more partially recoiled before the 
withering fire. Commanding ofiticers vied with each other in 
urging the men on, and the instant the enemy's volley slack- 
ened, the regiment swept forward and upon the rebel line, 
wdiich was only a few yards distant and in plain sight; only the 
low cedar bushes separated us. A mighty shout went up, and 
at that instant we realized that the enemy's line was giving 
way, and we occupied the ground they held a moment before. 

It is useless to attempt to describe the excitement of the 
next few moments, as the regiment flung itself, so to speak, upon 
the enemy. After the terrible experience in the morning, it 
was but natural in this moment of victory that the men should 
go to the opposite extreme of exultation ; and again, as in the 
morning, virtually wc were fighting alone, for the woods to our 
left shut off the main army firom our view. We were fighting 
in a jungle, and only by the roar of battle and the wild shouts 
and yells which rose above the din of artillery, could we deter- 
mine the position of the Union and rebel lines to our left. 

As a fact, there was a continuous line along our entire front, 
and as far as we could see to the left and some distance beyond 
our right flank, we had driven this line back, but as yet were 
unable to pierce it. Every inch of the ground was stubbornly 
contested. The opportune time for the brigade had come. 
Owing to the clearing and favorable condition of the ground, 
Thomas's own regiment gained a decided advance, pierced 
the enemy like an arrowhead, and had the fortune to 
witness the first break in their line. We emerged from 



222 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

the woods, and to our front was an open field for a quarter 
of a mile, unobstructed save by the tall dried grass and frag- 
ments of a zigzag rail fence. The entire distance on the left 
of the opening was flanked by patches of timber. Halfway 
across there was a slight depression. To the right the ground 
rose quite abruptly, so that the right of the brigade in charg- 
ing across the open space would find itself considerably higher 
than the left or centre. On the right and beyond the centre 
was quite a large area covered by tall trees and underbrush, 
and beyond this a sharp descent. 

As the brigade entered the open field, the enemy's line 
stretched across our front, and but a few rods in advance ; and, 
as if realizing the tremendous responsibility of the movement, 
it swept into the field on the run. Owing to the nature of 
the ground, the men crowded together, but just as the rebel 
line was reached it broke. The supreme moment had arrived, 
and with wild shouts the brigade dashed ahead. We pierced 
the enemy's line of battle, and from that moment his doom 
was sealed. All was now confusion : a portion of the enemy's 
line surged down to the left and into the woods. Others 
retreated on the run in our front, while another portion, perhaps 
to the number of two or three hundred, rushed to the right and 
into the timber, which offered the most natural and .immediate 
protection. 

In the meantime Gen. Thomas's horse was shot and fell to 
the ground. Suddenly, spattering shots, quickly increasing to a 
rapid fire, came down from the trees on the right. The firing 
was from the body of rebels which had taken refuge in the 
timber ; and instead of retreating beyond, as we supposed, only 
to be captured by our cavalry, had boldly returned to the attack 
and opened a murderous fire into the right flank and rear of the 
brigade. 

I stood near our regimental colors, which had halted, probably 
on account of the accident to the general, and shouted to the 
men to return or the flags would be captured. The sharp firing 
from the right instantly attracted the attention of the regiment, 
and in squads and singly within five minutes most of them 



VICTORY ASSURED. 223 

returned to the colors. The enemy's fire was rapidly returned, 
the men firing at will, when by order of Gen. Thomas the 
brigade with shouts and yells charged into the woods.* The 
enemy broke in great confusion and ran to the south and west. 
The brigade then swung to the front again, and with excited 
shouts and cheers, accompanied by Gen. Thomas on foot, rushed 
on after the now thoroughly defeated and disheartened foe.f 

It was a singular coincidence that the brigade which marched 
out and met the fiercest fire in the morning, and suffered the 
heaviest loss, was the first to pierce the enemy's line in the 
afternoon. There was also a grim satisfaction in knowing that 
the swath was being cut through the identical divisions from 
which we recived the combined assault at early dawn. 

Here again human nature showed itself as some of the men 
jumped up and down, shouted, threw their hats or caps into the 
air in their excitement. I remember distinctly at that moment 
looking back and seeing a line approaching from the rear and 
left which I suppose to have been the troops Gen. McMillan 
mentions in his report as the two regiments of the First Bri- 
gade, ordered to swing to the right and assist in dislodging the 
hidden foe. But as a fact they did not come within hailing 
distance until after we had charged and routed the enemy. 

Early's left flank (Evans's brigade) was now completely shat- 
tered, and his demoralized forces retreated rapidly toward his 
centre, with the exception of the few who went off to the right. 
Then we charged down into Gordon's other brigades, and soon 
found ourselves in advance of the main army. Sheridan was in 
at the break. He was mounted on his gray charger, to 
which he had changed from the black horse Winchester, and 
once during the fight was so near we could have touched 



* The attack was brilliantly made ; the enemy's resistance was very determined. His line 
of battle overlapped mine, and by turning with that portion of it on the iiank of the Nine- 
teenth Corps caused a slight momentary confusion. This movement was checked, however, 
by a charge of McMillan's brigade on the re-entering angle, and the enemy's flanking party 
was cut off. — Gen. Sheridan's report. 

t Then followed one of the most extraordinary reversals in the history of any war. 
Sheridan moved around our flank, swept down it, and broke our line all to fragments. — 
Gen. Gordon' s account. Burr' s history. 



224 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

him. Here in a nutshell was the secret of his success : 
First, Sheridan had the absolute confidence of his men. 
Pie won it. , He was never known to ask or order his 
men to go where he would not go himself. He often rode 
furiously into the hottest of the fight, apparently a reckless 
exposure of life ; but his presence aroused his soldiers to per- 
form deeds of valor hitherto thought impossible. Second, 
Sheridan always fought by a plan, as on the bloody plains of 
Winchester and the ragged heights of Fisher's Hill. So here 
his plan unfolded itself to the men as the battle progressed, 
revealing in the bright light of victory his rare military strategy. 

Just. here another rare privilege was accorded to the Eighth 
Vermont, for as we turned forever from this scene, we caught sight 
for a moment of the dashing Custer, that prince of horsemen, 
on an opposite eminence towards the setting sun, as he started 
with his famous division on that fierce charge which did not end 
till long after dark, and in terrible loss to the retreating foe. 

After this there were vain attempts to check our onward 
course ; but there was hardly a halt of the regiment as we 
pressed through the timber or clearing, with two or three 
exceptions, — the first, when we encountered two pieces of 
artillery, and on one occasion felt almost sure they were within 
our grasp ; but after emptying themselves of grape and canis- 
ter, they were hauled off to our left and front, to annoy us again 
further on. The second, when we were crowding them on too 
closely, they savagely turned and shot down Corp. Worden, our 
temporary color-bearer. This only seemed to rouse the regi- 
ment to further effort, and it pressed fiercely on again. 

Wounded and dead men marked the enemy's pathway as we 
rushed over logs, fences, and through thickets, till the regiment 
emerged from the timber and came out on the brow of a hill, 
in advance of any other Union troops, and in full view of almost 
the entire rebel army. What a sight ! Such as our army never 
beheld before, and never would again ; the event of a lifetime.* 

* When Evans's brigade gave way, Gordon's other brigades soon followed. Gen. Gordon 
made every possible effort to rally his men, but without avail. The information of this affair 
passed rapidly along Kershaw's and Ramseur's lines, and their men. under fear of being 
flanked, commenced falling back in disorder. — Gen. Early's report. 



PUSHING THE FOE. 225 

We had completed so much of a turn as to face nearly east, 
and double the enemy's left back upon their centre, and stood 
on their flank overlooking what then became a great, rushing, 
turbulent, retreating army, without line or apparent organiza- 
tion, hurrying and crowding on in mad retreat. Back across 
the sea of half-upturned faces of the enemy we could see the 
Union flags advancing amid the belt of smoke and flame that 
half encircled the doomed Confederates, while there was a 
continual roar of musketry and artillery. 

While the mighty panorama streamed on ip utter confusion, 
our men strained every nerve to make the most of their 
opportunity, for every shot told, and there seemed to be a 
savage fascination in avenging the terrible loss suffered in the 
morning fight. But at that moment, the Sixth Corps, seeing 
our men across the skirt of the meadow, mistook them for 
Confederates, and fired upon them, before the error was dis- 
covered. But the regiment ceased firing, and waved its flags, 
to enable the Sixth Corps to identify it. 

This danger soon past, the regiment resumed firing with a 
vengeance, only to attract the attention of the enemy's artillery, 
and a battery of two guns opened on us from a little eminence 
opposite our right and across the meadow. The first shot 
buried itself in the bank below ; then a second, and a little 
nearer ; while the third plunged underneath us, tearing up the 
ground and whirling the writer completely about. The regi- 
ment at this point lost several badly wounded, and two or three 
killed. 

An officer rode up from the rear and hurriedly ordered Col. 
Thomas to charge and take the battery. "That's what we ai'e 
after, sir," replied Thomas ; " I 'm only waiting for support," 
As a fact, the Eighth Regiment at that moment was entirely 
alone. But the order to move forward was given, and the 
regiment dashed down the bank skirting the meadow and 
alongside the flying fragments of rebel regiments, closely fol- 
lowed by the Twelfth Connecticut, cheering as they ran. The 
battery saw tis coming, and fired with redoubled energy, but 
our close proximity and the depression of the ground saved us 
15 



226 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

from loss, and in their confusion the gunners fired wildly, so 
that most of the storm intended for us fell short or swept just 
over our heads. The battery would have been captured, 
but the guns were hastily hauled down the opposite slope out of 
■our clutches, to join in the grand rush across Cedar Creek, 
under a shower of bullets from our victorious rifles. 

As the pursuing infantry reached again the ground where their 
morning camp had stood, the Eighth Vermont still in advance, 
a halt of half an hour was made, for bringing in our wounded 
men, s'ome of whom fell in the morning and had lain all day on 
the disputed field, and were shivering in the raw night air. 
Fire was' built, and coffee prepared for the refreshment of the 
men after their long fast ; but before it could- be served, orders 
came to advance again, and, leaving the wounded to .the 
surgeons, and the dead uncared for, on we went again, after 
the flying foe. 

The enemy crossed Cedar Creek, harried on and entrenched 
near midnight behind their old breastworks, beyond F"ort Banks 
and Strasburg. But our regiment followed closely, and, crawl- 
ing up under their works, found themselves on the very spot 
they had occupied the night before the battle of Fisher's Hill. 
The men lay on their arms, under strict orders to observe silence 
and not even to speak aloud. But before daylight Thomas 
moved his regiment back to Fort Banks. Rosscr's cavalry still 
hovered on the pike below, and the Union cavalry coming up, 
the regiment had a chance to watch from its position a brief 
but sharp engagement before the rebel horsemen fled. 

During the day the army captured from the enemy forty-eight 
cannon, including tvienty-four taken from us in the morning, 
ten battle flags, thousands of small arms, and a large number 
■of prisoners, and Early's army was virtually annihilated. The 
Eighth Vermont entered the fight nearly two hours earlier than 
the other Vermont troops. It received the fiercest charge of 
the day. Its relative loss of numbers actually engaged in the 
morning fight was heavier than that of any other Union regi- 
ment. It led the charge back, and was a part of the "arrow- 
head " which had the honor to first pierce the enemy's line of 



RE CA FITULA TION. 2 2 7 

battle in the afternoon ; — maintaining that advance, it was at 
midnight farther to the front in pursuit of the enemy than any 
of Sheridan's infantry. Thus closed the battle. 

While Col. Thomas was warning the Union commander on 
the very eve of battle, the Confedei^ate general Gordon was at 
that moment selecting a pathway through which his divisions, 
including Stonewall Jackson's old brigade, should, under cover 
of darkness, creep on their way to the world-renowned charge 
that fell with such awful fury on the Second Brigade. 

Notwithstanding the earnest warning of the corps officer of 
the day, the Union army was lulled into a feeling of security by 
other reports; and the world knows that the first reconnois- 
sance in the morning was made by the enemy, and Crook's 
corps, the first attacked, was not standing at arms, or out in 
the morning until driven out at the point of the enemy's bayo- 
net ; and many a poor fellow awoke only to meet the blinding 
flash and cruel bullet from the musket of the charging foe. 

When Thomas left Wright's headquarters he went to the 
front for the night, and did not dismount again until his horse 
was shot from under him. At three o'clock in the morning, 
the moon shining dimly, Thomas, accompanied by Lieut. 
Howe, rode out to the picket line. His suspicions were not 
allayed, but with no fear that our army would be surprised 
after his repeated warnings, he rode up across the pike, ordered 
the fires put out, and every available man on picket. At 
this time he heard the light crackle of Rosser's signal 
shots on our right, and Gordon's answer on our left, soon fol- 
lowed by crashes of musketry and wild yells of Kershaw's 
charging brigades. 

"They '11 be fearfully punished before they get into Crook's 
works," said Lieut. Howe, as both wheeled for the pike, 
only to ride into a company of rebel cavalry, probably 
belonging to Wharton ; and at the same moment a volley of 
musketry rang out above them from Wharton's infantry. At 
this moment one of the nearest horsemen shouted to Thomas, 
" Surrender, you d — d Yankee !" " No, sir !" said Thomas ; "it 
is too early in the morning ; besides, your language is not re- 



228 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

spectful." And striking spurs into his horse he dashed away 
toward the creek. A wild, savage yell broke from the throats 
of the rebel horsemen, as they followed at a mad gallop, and a 
shower of bullets cut the air about Thomas's head as they raced 
toward the Union lines. In the darkness and gloom, down the 
steep banks of the creek, Thomas and his aid marvellously 
escaped, and, lying flat on his horse, he climbed the steep bank 
opposite. He was soon in the presence of Gens. Emory 
and McMillan, and just at daybreak received the order to take 
his brigade across the pike, and check the advance of the 
enemy. 

There 's a strange love for the old flag burning in our hearts. 
It is inconceivable, indescribable, absolutely unknown to one 
never in battle or active service — a "strange something, born 
of war "; perhaps born on the long, weary march, when hunger 
stares in the face and thirsty lips cry for water. It is strength- 
ened on the lonely picket line, as the soldier walks his beat at 
midnight, or crouches in the gloom as he hears the cry of pain 
from his next comrade, who perhaps falls with the bright flash 
and the rebel bullet from a concealed foe. It is welded as a 
band of hot iron in the fire and wild tumult of battle, and sealed 
by the blood of hero martyrs, as they pour out their lives amid 
horrible carnage, that liberty may live. 

And lastly, it is made perfect by long suffering, either of hun- 
ger, thirst, weariness of body, the ugly wounds and the agony 
that follows on the battlefield or in the hospital, or the horrid 
prison pens with their exposure and starvation. I repeat it, 
love for the old flag is — 

"That strange something, born of war; " 
and as we meet, and the flag is brought again into our midst, 
and we live over and over again the battles of the war, with 
memories that in times past would crowd and distinguish centu- 
ries, — but in our lives compressed within the compass of a 
single day, — do we not find the long roll of wounded and dead 
cut as with a knife in our quivering hearts .'' You may call it 
only sentiment, but it is true to life. 



A SAD INVENTORY. 229 

The war and all its precious memories — soul-lifting or sad — 
seems now like some strange dream. The mighty host of 
armed men, whose tramp caused the nations to tremble, has 
gone from our sight. Their wild battle cry will be heard no 
more forever ; their battle flag will come forth no more to war. 
Our flag is furled, — a precious relic for future generations, and 
a proud fact to us that only men brave, daring, heroic, and, 
better still, loyal to the core, ever bore aloft the colors and flag 
of that grand old regiment, the Eighth Vermont Volunteers. 



INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHT. 

The loss in killed and wounded at Cedar Creek was greater 
than the regiment had suffered in any one previous engagement. 
Those killed were : Lieut. Aaron K. Cooper and Lucius 
Estes, Company A ; Corp. George F. Blanchard, James S. 
Bigelow, Wm. J. Fadden, Company B ; John H. Day, Company 
D ; George E. Austin, Company G ; Sergt, Jonathan V. Allen 
and George E. Ormsby, Company H ; Sergt. Lewis H. Lamb, 
Alonzo Mills, Charles F. Phillips, Company I ; Corp. John 
Petrie, Corp. Lyman F. Perham, Paschal P. Shores, Franklin 
Russell, Company K. 

Among the wounded were : Maj. John B. Mead, Capt. A. B. 
Franklin, Capt. Edward Hall (died from wounds), Capt. Wm. H. 
Smith, Capt. George O. Ford, Capt. S. E. Howard, Adj. S. 
W. Shattuck, Lieut. Andrew J. Sargent, Lieut James Welch, 
Lieut. Martin L. Bruce, Lieut. Wm. H. Spencer, Lieut. F. 
R. Carpenter, Lieut. Nathan C. Cheney (died from wounds) ; 
Lieut. Lewis Childs, of Gen. McMillan's staff, was injured by 
the falling of his horse, which was shot from under him ; Lieut. 
Henry H. Newton, of Company A, had his horse shot while 
riding on detached service, and his leg was broken by the 
fall ; Sergt. Seth C. Hill, Aliston E. Shepard, Oliver P. Dun- 
ham, Company A ; Sergt. Henry H. Holt, Corp. Myron P. War- 
ren (died from wounds), Silas Baker, Company B ; John M. 
Waldron, Charles Collins, John V. Goodell (died from wounds) ; 
William Leith (died from wounds), Oscar Page, Company C ; 



230 THE EIGHTH VERMOAT. 

Joseph S. Rollins, Wm. C. Bliss, Asa Thompson (died from 
wounds), Joseph Mansur, Samuel W. Scott, Jeremiah D. 
Styles, George N. M. Bean, Henry C. Richardson, F. G. 
Thomas (died from wounds), George H. Austin, Company D ; 
Edwin Phelps, George R. Grant, Julius L. Poor, James Robin- 
son, Company E ; Abraham Douglass, George G. Smith, Com- 
pany F ; Fabien Dupuis, Antonius Depuys, Wm. D. Plumley, 
James H. Bement, Company G ; Sergt. Henry B, Brown, Wm. H. 
Reed (died from wounds), Samuel S. Childs (died from wounds), 
Albert O. Evans (died from wounds), Frankford H. Bates, 
Simeon Canedy, Obediah N. Russell, George W. Skinner, 
George A. Williams, Cyrus M. White, George A, White, 
George R. Harrington, Company PI ; Corp. A. S. Worden, 
Corp. Leonard C. Bemis, Sidney L. May, Elmer Fitts, 
Warren W. Kerr, Daniel B. Mills, Company I ; Sergt. Solon 
L. Simons, Ransom Coolbeth, George Page, Albert D. Grant, 
Sewall Simpson, Ethan P. Shores, John D. Lewis (died from 
wounds). Company K. 

Among those taken prisoners on the picket line at Cedar 
Creek, for the list cannot be made complete, were : Lieut. F. R. 
Carpenter, Company F ; Edward Swords, John R. Dawson, 
Company B ; Rollin E. Earned, Oscar Maxham, Edwin Phelps, 
George Tracy, Company E ; Abraham Douglass, George G. 
Smith, John Duling. Thomas H. Henchey, Company F ; Corp. 
S. N. Coles, B. F. Arnold, Company G ; Geo. E. Mudgett, Zeb. 
Mitchell, Oliver P. Dunham, Stephen C. Albee, Company A. 

Sergt. Bowman, of Company E, with two companions, was 
captured twice, and finally escaped to the Union lines. 

Lieut. Carpenter was taken to Richmond and confined in 
Libby prison, where he suffered a long time, but notified his 
family where he was in the following singular manner: Hav- 
ing subscribed for the Richmond Daily Inquirer, he paid six 
dollars to have a " personal " inserted in its columns. This 
notice was copied into a New York paper, which happened to 
fall into the hands of his family in Vermont, who were thus 
informed of his whereabouts. 

Capt. McFarland relates that when he found his regiment 



OLD PETE. 231 

likely to be swept back after taking their position beyond the 
pike, during the morning fight, he sent Geo. E. Mudgett, of 
Company A, back to the camp with orders to gather up and 
save whatever valuables he could. Having done so, instead of 
staying in the rear, as he might very properly have done, 
Mudgett rejoined his company, when he and three companions' 
were surrounded and captured by the enemy. He was taken to 
Andersonville, where he suffered terribly. During his stay 
there the officers in charge tried to induce him to enlist in the 
Confederate army, and finally offered him fifty dollars in their 
money and a pound of meat if he would do so. This to a 
starving man was a tempting bribe, but Mudgett was " true 
blue " to the last, and emphatically refused the offer. 

After the brigade under Col. Thomas had been driven back, 
and while they were almost cut off and nearly surrounded by 
the enemy, Robert Sturgeon, of Company C, was set upon by 
a Confederate private, who ordered him to halt, to which he paid 
no attention. The Johnny pursued and emphasized his order 
by a thrust with his bayonet, which pierced Sturgeon's cloth- 
ing, going between his shirt and skin, and coming out through 
the clothing in front under his arm. Thus admonished by the 
cold steel. Sturgeon, who had lost his bayonet and whose gun 
was unloaded, halted ; but one of his comrades who was near 
at hand, and had observed the whole, came up and discharged 
his gun point blank at the head of the rebel, and both Union 
soldiers escaped, the whole transaction having occupied only 
a few seconds of time. 

When old Pete, the horse ridden by Col. Thomas, and which 
he valued highly, was shot, the colonel said as he sprang away 
from him : " It better be you than I, poor fellow ! " and the 
wounded beast was left behind to die. But he recovered suffi- 
ciently to follow the troops and seek out his master's headquar- 
ters that night, where the colonel caused his hurt to be 
dressed, and when he was well, sent him to Vermont, where old 
Pete lived to a good old age, and was treated with marked 
consideration as one of the noted equine heroes of the war. 

The Twenty-sixth Massachusetts had completed their term 



232 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

of service just before the Cedar Creek fight ; but on hearing 
that there was to be a battle, about a hundred and fifty of them 
who were awaiting transportation North, decided to remain and 
take part in the engagement. They did so, and Lieut. Tilden 
was killed and several others wounded. This magnanimity on 
their part was deeply touching to the Eighth Vermont, whose 
members became pleasantly acquainted with them at Ship 
Island, and served with them for years. 

After the battle Captains Geo. O. Ford, S. E. Howard, and 
Wm. H. Smith were granted furloughs on account of their 
severe wounds, and on their way home stopped at Baltimore to 
get their pay and procure clothing and other necessaries for 
their journey. They lost all their changes of clothing when 
the camp was captured in the morning fight, and were obliged to 
start northward dressed as they had been on the field, in the 
dilapidated uniforms in which they had campaigned through 
the summer. To say, then, that they were ragged, bloody, and 
unkempt, but faintly expresses the poverty of their apparel. 
Each officer was very lame. Ford had been shot through both 
legs and could scarcely hobble ; Howard carried his arm in a 
sling and had one leg nearly disabled ; Smith was crippled by 
a ball in the thigh. 

In such a plight the trio reached the city, booked at the 
Eutaw House, and, dinner being ready, proceeded at once 
to the dining-room, where their appearance created quite a 
sensation among the ladies and gentlemen at the tables. While 
waiting for their orders to be filled, a champagne cork popped 
near by, and though they did not mistake the report for one of 
Early's signal guns, their attention was drawn to the move- 
ments of a waiter who began to fill their glasses. Could it be 
another Cedar Creek surprise .-* or had there been a mistake .-^ 

"What are you about.?" asked one of the officers. "We 
ordered no wine." 

" Massa Gen. Lew Wallace's compliments, sah," said the 
sable waiter with unction. 

They ascertained later that the general was at one of the 
tables, and, observing their entrance, had guessed they came 



A FRESH COMPLIMENT. 233 

from the bloody field which was the sole topic of conversation. 
He not only showed them this courtesy, but afterwards took 
them under his special charge, assisted them in getting their 
pay, and exerted himself in every way to make their stay in the 
city pleasant. 

Maj. Mead, after having his wounds dressed, mounted his 
horse and followed up his regiment unattended, overtook them 
at Fisher's Hill that night, and resumed his duties. 

It would seem almost needless to multiply testimony to the 
bravery of the Second Brigade, exhibited in facing singly and 
unsupported the furious onslaught of Early's most powerful army 
corps ; but just at this moment there appears in the fresh pages 
of Hon. G. G. Benedict's "Vermont in the Civil War" this 
reference to the deed : 

" Among the troops brought forward for this purpose [to face Kershaw 
and Gordon] was a brigade of brave Connecticut, Maine, Pennsylvania, 
New York, and Vermont troops, under command of Col. Stephen Thomas 
of the Eighth Vermont. Thomas had been among the first to get his bri- 
gade into line, and he was at once ordered forward to the left, across the 
pike, to stem the rout. He moved promptly forward to the west of a ravine 
and copse of woods, a crowd of fugitives pouring through his lints as he 
took position. Gen. Wright made an earnest effort to rally the men of the 
Eighth Corps on the turnpike under this cover; but it could not be done, 
and Thomas was thus without support in his desperate task of checking 
Gordon's victorious assault. He made several successive stands, holding 
the crest till his brigade was thanked on the right and left by overwhelming 
numbers, then falling back to the pike, where the same operation was 
repeated, and finally rejoining the division, with his brigade diminished by 
a third, — the heaviest loss suffered by any brigade during the day." 

Instances of men re-entering the service after being honorably 
discharged are not so frequent but that one may be singled 
out for special mention. Lieut. James Welch, of Company G, 
entered the service as a private, and rose to be sergeant, then 
second lieutenant, then first lieutenant of his company. At the 
morning battle at Cedar Creek, he commanded Company G as 
skirmishers, and his line first met the Confederates as they 
came rushing; throue:h the woods. In this engao^ement he was 



234 I^^E EIGHTH VERMONT. 

severely wounded, and as the forces fell back, barely escaped 
being captured by the enemy. On account of consequent disa- 
bility he was honorably discharged from the regiment. But 
as soon as he recovered sufficiently to sit on a horse, he wished 
to return to the field, and the governor of Vermont appointed 
him quartermaster of the Eighth Regiment, March 27th, 1865 ; 
and in that capacity he did good service until the close of the 
war. 

Capt, S. E. Howard was a mere boy when he enlisted as a 
private in Company H. He was afterwards promoted to second 
lieutenant, then to first lieutenant. During the campaign up 
the Teche to Alexandria, and the siege of Port Hudson, he was 
acting quartermaster of the regiment. He was then promoted 
to the captaincy of Company C, which he commanded in the 
battles of Opequon and Fisher's Hill. In the battle of Cedar 
Creek he was disabled by severe wounds, and on that account 
received an honorable discharge in the following December. 
As a soldier and officer, Capt. Howard was made of the -best 
stuff, and earned each honor he received by duties well per- 
formed. 

Captain Edward Hall, of Company E, who died a few days 
after the battle from wounds received at Cedar Creek, was one 
of the oldest officers in the regiment. He served through the 
Louisiana campaign, and re-enlisted as a veteran. In one of 
the first encounters at an outpost of his command, that of 
Bayou des Allemands, he was taken prisoner with his entire 
detachment, being overcome by superior numbers. His conspic- 
uous services at the siege of Port Hudson and in the Virginia 
campaigns, won for him an honorable name among his associate 
and superior officers. 

Lieut. Aaron K, Cooper, who fell in the terrible fight made 
by his regiment on the 19th instant, enlisted in Company A as 
a private, became a non-commissioned officer, and then second 
lieutenant of his company. He also joined the veteran regi- 



FAITHFUL OFFICERS. 235 

ment after the term of his first enlistment had expired. He 
was greatly beloved by his men and brother officers ; and his 
body was recovered after the battle, and buried in the national 
cemetery at Winchester. 

Lieut. Nathan C. Cheney, of Company K, whose wounds 
received at Cedar Creek soon proved fatal, rose from the ranks 
by faithful and efficient service, anc? was a brave and capable 
officer. 



XI. 



NEWTOWN. 

After their defeat at Cedar Creek, the southern army con- 
tinued to menace the Shenandoah Valley, as the sea lashes the 
shore after the fury of a storm is spent. But the tide of Con- 
federate success had turned, never again to touch the high- 
water mark. During the night that followed the scenes related 
in the last chapter, Early halted his flying troops behind the 
entrenchments on Fisher's Hill ; but before the dawn of 
another day he withdrew up the valley to New Market, where 
he remained on the defensive for three weeks. 

On the 9th of November, Gen. Sheridan returned toward 
Kernstown, where he could find better quarters and a shorter 
line of supplies. Being in doubt whether his antagonist would 
attempt another aggressive mo\'ement, for the Confederate 
strength had been augmented since their last engagement, 
he disposed his forces so as to be prepared for attack at any 
moment, and held his line. 

On the day after the Union army withdrew to the north. 
Early followed with his entire force as far as Middletown, and 
a sharp cavalry encounter ensued at Newtown, where the front 
of the Union line rested. After that there was frequent skir- 
mishing with mounted troops, which resulted in the capture of 
many Confederate guns and prisoners. But on the 14th instant, 
the enemy again moved back to New Market, and before the 
end of the month a large portion of Early's troops had been 
transferred to other commands, so that the presence of the 



A CAVALRY DASH. 237 

entire Union army in the valley was no longer required. 
Accordingly, the Sixth and Eighth Corps were ordered away in 
December, and at the close of the year 1864, Sheridan had left 
only the Nineteenth Corps to go into winter quarters. 

When Early's cavalry charged upon the Union lines on 
the 1 2th, they found the Eighth Vermont on picket near 
the turnpike; and before they came near enough to use their 
weapons, the reserve was ordered up and a formidable body of 
infantry was ready to receive them. In front of the picket 
line was an apple orchard, beyond which the ground descended 
abruptly into a deep ravine. Into this the skirmishers deployed 
by the troopers soon disappeared, and a detachment from the 
regiment was sent forward to watch their movements. But 
they had scarcely reached the brink of the gorge when they 
were met by the mounted Johnnies, and came back on the run 
under a scattering fire from the enemy, which was returned 
with much spirit by the infantry. A brisk engagement might 
have ensued, had not the Union vedettes been between the pickets 
and the cavalry, thus preventing them from being fired upon ; 
therefore an order was given to cease firing instantly, lest they 
as well as the saucy skirmishers should be endangered. Then 
the enemy tried to capture the vedettes, but failing to do so, 
and finding the situation uncomfortable, they dashed into the 
ravine again, and the entire brigade of Confederate horse 
showed heel and rapidly galloped away. 

While the brigade remained at Newtown, supposing they 
were to pass the winter there, Gen. Sherman was prosecuting 
his famous march to the sea, and about ten o'clock one night 
Col. Thomas received information that he had reached the 
suburbs of Savannah. Knowing that his men were much 
interested in the progress of that unique campaign, the 
colonel did not communicate the news to any one, but issued 
an order for his command to be in line at a certain point at 
seven o'clock next morning, which in those short days was 
a very early hour. He then told his acting adjutant general, 
Capt. Shattuck, to meet thtm and read them a notice of 
Sherman's success. It was a cold, windy morning, aQd "as his 



238 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

voice was not very heavy," said Col. Thomas, " I knew that 
but a small part of the brigade really understood what the 
adjutant was saying. When he got through I thought I would 
repeat the notice, and I was quite sure they heard it all along 
the line. I finished by shouting at the top of my voice : 
' Satan's kingdom 's coming down, glory hallelujah ! ' Then 
turning to Shattuck, I added: ' I thought they did n't quite 
understand you, but I believe they heard me.' ' Yes,' said he, 
* anybody could have heard you two miles away.' " 

During the latter part of November and the early part of 
December quite a number of promotions were made in the 
regiment. Under date of November 24th, Maj. J. B. Mead 
was made lieutenant colonel ; Capt. A. B. Franklin, Company 
H, major; First Lieut. Henry Carpenter, Company F, adju- 
tant; First Lieut. L. M. Hutchinson, captain Company E; 
Adj. S. W. Shattuck, captain Company H ; M. L. Hodgkins, 
first lieutenant Company F; James Welch, Company G, first 
lieutenant ; Sec. Lieut. Joseph N. Dunton, Company H, first 
lieutenant ; Sec. Lieut. Ezra H. Brown, Company A, first 
lieutenant ; Henry H. Newton, Company A, second lieutenant. 

Capt. S. E. Howard, Company C, was honorably discharged 
Dec. 9th ; and Sec. Lieut. Nathaniel Robie, Company D, died 
of disease, Dec. 6th. 



SUMMIT POINT. 

■ On the 20th day of December, orders were received at 
Newtown to break camp, and at three o'clock in the afternoon 
the Eighth Vermont, with other troops in the command, began 
to move northward, and passing through Winchester that even- 
ing, the march was continued until midnight, when a halt was 
made. The men dropped down on the frozen ground, rolled 
themselves in their blankets, and went to sleep under a starless 
sky, with plenty of fresh air circulating through their spacious 
bed chambers. But Mother Natirre, probably fearful that her 
tired boys would not be warm enough, stepped in and tucked 



SKIRMISHING. 239 

them all up under one of her immaculate white winter cover- 
lets of downy crystals ; and when they were aroused at day- 
break, her thoughtfulness caused them no little surprise, as 
they brushed some of the loose snowy feathers from their faces, 
and shivered a little to find the new day showing such a north- 
ern New England aspect. 

A tramp of two hours through the snow brought the troops 
to Summit Point, where the regimental camp was established 
for the winter. Although no more Opequon bayonet charges 
or Cedar Creek surprises awaited the veterans from old Ver- 
mont, their quarters were by no means a lodge of comfortable 
indolence. The adjacent railroad line had to be guarded, in 
order to protect its transportation business ; block houses 
were required to be built as a defence against guerilla raids ; 
and guard and picket duty was very exacting. Small forces of 
the enemy hovered about the camp at frequent intervals, with 
which the skirmishers would have a brush ; and occasionally a 
Union soldier would be wounded. 

The danger of attack did not arise from the close proximity 
of the formidable army with which they had so bravely coped 
in the autumn ; but the wily Mosby, with his band of prowling 
guerillas, menaced them with the utmost persistence, making 
their life not unlike that of white settlers in colonial times, who 
were constantly in danger of being murdered by savages. The 
block houses built to protect the veterans from surprises were 
a revival of the old stockades, within which the Puritan secreted 
his family when a warwhoop announced the approach of the 
cruel red men. 

Mosby's method of attack was to make a sudden dash upon 
a train or a detail of unprotected soldiers, fire a few shots, 
gather up valuable booty and capture prisoners, then disappear 
as suddenly. In this kind of worrying his men were expert and 
bold, and there was no time, day or night, when their raids might 
not be expected. On one occasion a hundred horsemen swooped 
•down upon a squad of ten or a dozen men, within a stone's throw 
of the regimental headquarters, and ran them off at the side of 
their horses, without firing a shot. They were beyond rifle 



240 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

range before the camp was alarmed, and the captured Yankees 
were hurried off to starve in Libby prison. 

In February a party of about twenty men were sent to the 
forest about half a mile away to chop wood for the camp. They 
stacked their arms, took their axes, and went to work ; but 
without a moment's warning, a band of guerillas dashed in 
between them and their muskets, drew revolvers upon them, 
and marched them off as prisoners. For two days and a night 
they tramped through the country without stopping ; then a 
short halt was made, and they were given a scanty ration of 
" corn dodgers " for breakfast. Then resuming the march they- 
soon arrived at Libby prison, where the luckless wood choppers 
passed several weeks before they were exchanged. In that 
place of torment, the horrors of which have probably never 
been exaggerated, those poor fellows were subjected to all 
the atrocious barbarities that inhumanity could suggest. By 
long days of fasting they were made willing to appease their 
hunger on the only articles provided for them which bore the 
least semblance to food, — a little decaying meat and sour, 
mouldy bread, — and to slake their consuming thirst with water 
too filthy to wash in. 

Only part of these prisoners survived the terrible ordeal, and 
the misery of those who lived was heightened by the spectacle 
of the bodies of their deceased comrades lying unburied for 
days, or thrown outside to be torn and devoured by half- starved 
dogs. 

In this connection might be related the sad experience of 
six prisoners captured in the morning at Cedar Creek, who 
were sent to Andersonville. Their captors had plundered 
them of nearly all their clothing, so that they were exposed to 
an inclement atmosphere with no adequate protection, and 
during the chilly nights they nearly perished with cold. To 
better their miserable plight as far as possible, the poor fellows 
dug a hole in the ground, into which they crept to sleep at 
night, in lieu of a bed. They had only two blanket.s, but they 
huddled together as closely as possible, and once in an hour 
or two the outside man, who was most exposed, exchanged 



THOMAS MUSTERED OUT. 24 1 

places with one in the middle, and in that way contrived to 
drown his sufferings in sleep. One unusually cold night 
Thomas Henchey occupied the outside place during the first 
hour after midnight, but when the others tried to rouse him to 
get up and take the warmer berth, he made no response; he 
was dead. A horror fell on his five companions, nor did they 
dare go to sleep again that night, lest they too share the fate of 
poor Tom. 

The following names of prisoners taken on the 20th instant 
are all that have been obtained, although there were probably 
about twenty others captured : Orville R. Brooks, Company B ; 
Geo. H. Dow and Chas. H. Emerson, Company D ; Mason P. 
Burke, Company E. 

On the 2 1st of February, two members of Company F, 
Jonathan L. Squires and John B. Thomas, were taken prisoners 
while guarding a wagon train. 

But in spite of frequent skirmishes along the line of the 
Winchester and Harper's Ferry Railroad, an expedition up 
the Valley to Newtown under Maj. Gen. W. S. Hancock, and 
continuous exposure to storms and cold, the winter was a rather 
uneventful one for old campaigners, and the spring found them 
in good condition. 

During the first months of the year, that memorable year 
which closed the war, several important promotions were made. 
On the 2 1 St of January, Col. Thomas was mustered out of the 
service, his time of original muster having expired. He returned 
to Vermont and secured recruits enough for the regiment to 
enable Lieut. Col. John B. Mead to be promoted to the colonelcy 
on the 4th of March. Maj. A. B. Franklin was made lieuten- 
ant colonel on the same day, and Capt. H. M. Pollard was 
made major April 6th. 

A few days before his three years of service expired. Col. 
Thomas addressed to the assistant adjutant general a request 
to be mustered out and receive transportation to Vermont. 
As this document passed through the regular channels, the fol- 
lowing indorsements of officers who examined it were made 
upon it : 
16 



242 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Respectfully forwarded with great regret, as Col. Thomas is a most 
valuable ofificer to the service, and his place cannot be easily filled. 

J. W. McMillan, B. G. C. 

The term of service of this officer will expire Jan. 21, 1865, according to 
his statement. He has served three years in one grade, under his original 
muster, and therefore can not continue in service except he be recommis- 
sioned and remustered. He can not remuster on his present commission, 
as his regiment has not the proper veteran organization. He should be 
mustered out in the field Jan. 21, 1865, on account of expiration of term of 

service. 

James F. Fitts, 

Captain and C. M. 19th A. C. 

. . . The general commanding regrets exceedingly to lose the services 
of Col. Thomas, whom he has twice recommended to be brevetted for gal- 
lantry and meritorious services; and he yet entertains the hope that Col. 
Thomas will receive the promotion that he merits, and return to the corps. 
By order of 

Brev. Maj. Gex. Emory, 

Duncan S. Walker, A. A. G. 

The following promotions in the regiment were made early 
in the year 1865: Feb. 23d, Sec. Lieut. Geo. G. Hutchins, 
Company E, first lieutenant ; Sergt. Francis E. Warren, Com- 
pany I, first lieutenant, and April i8th to captain ; Sergt. 
Newell H. Hibbard, Company E, second lieutenant ; Sergt. 
George W. Hill, Company K, second lieutenant ; March 
3d, First Lieut. Joseph N. Dunton, Company H, captain of 
Company C ; Hospital Steward Wm. H. Haskins, captain 
Company D, vice Capt. A. E. Getchell, whose term had 
expired ; Lieut. James W. Smith. Company K, captain ; Lieut. 
Waitstill R. Pettie, Company H, first lieutenant ; Sergt. Mar- 
tin L. Bruce, Company G, first lieutenant ; Sergt. Horace P. 
Emerson, Company D, second lieutenant ; Sergt. Hymenius 
A. Davis, Company H, second lieutenant ; Abner W. Flint, 
Company G, mustered as second lieutenant. April 6th, Sergt. 
Curtis W. Lynn, Company B, second lieutenant. April 18th, 
Sergt. Henry W. Downs, Company I, second lieutenant. 

Rev. Thomas Bayne, of Irasburg, Vt., was commissioned chap- 
lain, Feb. 23d. 



LLVCOL.Y'S ASSASSINATION. 245, 

When President Lincoln was shot, on the evening of April 
14th, a line of infantry was posted around the city of Wash- 
ington to prevent the escape of the assassin, and the Eighth 
Vermont were hurried thither and stationed near Seventh 
street, the men being placed about five feet apart. They 
remained there throughout that exciting night, and returned to 
camp when it was found that Booth had escaped beyond the 
city limits, and had been captured. 

Seven days later, the regiment bade adieu to their camp at 
Summit Point, and proceeded to Fort Stevens in the northern 
suburbs of Washington, where they did picket duty. Later 
they formed part of the reserve stationed near the city arsenal, 
and then were in camp at Monson Hill, until they were trans- 
ferred to the Sixth Corps. On reaching Washington the regi- 
ment was received by Gov. J. Gregory Smith, who was waiting 
for them and reviewed the lines. 

Soon the first division of the Nineteenth Corps, which 
included the Eighth Vermont, was ordered to Savannah. Their 
number had just been augmented by the arrival of about four 
hundred fresh recruits from Vermont, who had enlisted through 
the influence of Gen. Thomas, in order that the regiment might 
contain men enough to ensure the commission of Officer 
Mead to the colonelcy. Considering the condition of the men 
it seemed to Gov. Smith, Col. Holbrook, the state commissioner, 
and the officers of the regiment, unwise at that season to send 
them to a sickly southern climate, when there did not appear to 
be any pressing need of their services there. Accordingly, 
their case was laid before the secretary of war, who was asked 
to transfer them to the Sixth Corps, which was to remain in the 
vicinity of Washington. But no answer came from Mr. Stan- 
ton, and on the first day of June the men were ordered on board 
a steamer at Alexandria, which was to sail early the next 
morning. The poor fellows felt heart-sick as they crept into 
their berths late that night, while Col. Mead with several of 
his staff remained on deck talking about the matter until after 
midnight. They had abandoned all hope of getting a counter- 
manding order in season, when Col. Holbrook came aboard 



244 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

bearing an official paper which read : " Col. Mead will take his 
regiment and report as soon as convenient to Gen. Wright, of 
the Sixth Corps." 

Rejoiced at their changed destination, the Vermont boys 
went ashore at two o'clock in the morning, and encamped in a 
clover field near by, where they passed one of the pleasantest 
weeks of the entire campaign. They drew a supply of new 
clothing and other things necessary to their comfort and re- 
spectable appearance, and engaged in careful daily drills, pre- 
paratory to the reviews in which they expected soon to take 
part. At the end of the week they reported to Gen. Wright 
as ordered. 

The grand review of the Sixth Corps in Washington was 
ordered for the 8th instant, and Col. Mead's command made so 
fine a display on parade, that the National Intelligencer, in its 
report of the affair, paid them the following compliment : " Next 
came the Eighth Vermont, a veteran regiment four years in 
service, commanded by Col. John B. Mead. This regiment was 
especially noticed for its excellent marching, and the perfect 
alignment of its bayonets ; and every soldier bore in his cap a 
sprig of cedar, the emblem of his state. " 

On this and other similar public occasions the regimental 
band was brought into prominence, and was often compli- 
mented as being one of the best in the Nineteenth Corps. 
The leader was Auguste Heanel, a native German, who 
enlisted in New Orleans, and was an accomplished musician. 
His assistant was Anselm Martin, who was also enlisted in 
that city. When a serenade was desired at headquarters, the 
Eighth Vermont band was always in demand. 

At this point, the story may properly pause to pay a tribute 
to Col. John B. Mead, who entered the service as second lieu- 
tenant of Company G. In early life he labored on a farm, and 
enjoyed such educational advantages only as were afforded by 
the common schools of Vermont. But having a liking for study, 
he pursued the higher branches after leaving school, and for 
several years was employed in teaching. He had a command- 




i:»il..o CO. 



Col. John b. Mead. 



HOME AGAIN. 245 

ing presence and was a ready speaker, and at the public meet- 
ings held to encourage enlistments, he gave effective addresses, 
and exerted a strong influence in raising his own company. 

Col. Mead received a greater number of promotions than any 
other member of the regiment, being commissioned successively 
as second lieutenant, first lieutenant, captain, major, and lieu- 
tenant colonel. Finally Col. Thomas retired from the regiment, 
and he was made colonel in his stead, March 4th, 1865, holding 
the position until the regiment was mustered out of service. 
He was taken prisoner at Bayou des Allemands, and at Cedar 
Creek he led the regiment in the famous advance across the 
pike in the morning, but was wounded and obliged to retire 
from the field. He took great pride in the good appearance of 
his troops, and enforced rigid discipline, believing it the cardinal 
virtue of a soldier to render strict obedience to military law. 

MUSTERED OUT. 

There is no need to recall to the minds of veterans the sig- 
nal victories and other marked events that combined to bring 
to a close, in the spring of 1865, the great conflict of arms be- 
tween the North and the South. The power of the Confederacy 
permanently crushed, the presence of the great Union armies 
was no longer needed in the seceded states, and, by order of the 
commander in chief, all the troops that could be brought 
together for the purpose were to parade in one grand review 
before the assembled dignitaries at the capital, preparatory to 
returning home. The day set for this display was the 23d of 
May, and the Eighth Vermont participated with credit to them- 
selves and their officers in command. 

On the 28th day of June, the regiment was mustered out of 
service with veteran honors, and ordered to Burlington, Vt., 
where, after receiving pay, the members quietly disbanded and 
returned to their homes on the loth of July, 1865. Who 
returned.^ The Eighth Regiment, we say. But do we mean 
that thousand men who left Camp Holbrook on the 4th of 
March, 1862, for the front } 



246 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

"Ah me ! not all ! some come not with the rest, 
Who went forth brave and bright as any here ! 

* * * * 

In these brave ranks I only see the gaps, 
Thinking of dear ones whom the dumb turf wraps. 
Dark to the triumph which they died to gain." 

Ah, sad in the hour of victory and national rejoicing is the 
dirge for those who went but come not ! Of the hundreds who 
started from that winter camp for the southern battlefields, 
hardly as many scores came back to answer to their names at 
roll-call. After the fever of the fight, the pain of fatal wounds, 
the wasting course of disease, or the slow torture of the enemy's 
prisons, they sleep well, let us hope, in the land they died to 
redeem. The brave companies returned mere fragments and 
broken lines, bringing precious memories of the comrades 
fallen and left behind. 

Or shall we rather say they all came back and the ranks 
were full when the regiment disbanded.'' Is it too much to 
affirm that those who had fallen on the field filled that occasion 
with a presence even more real than that of the few men who 
returned unhurt .^ How could they linger behind in that hour 
of martial triumph t Forth fi-om the impalpable air they 
marched with quick, glad step, in shining raiment neither blue 
nor gray, joy in their faces, and songs of victory upon their 
lips. Did you not see them, O toil-worn comrade, as they moved 
to your side, aligned, and filled the wide gaps in your ranks } 
Did not their presence inspire you in that hour of rushing 
memories ? If in your thought that morning the heroes in 
your ranks were still alive, then could you go home rejoicing, 
and singing : 

" Lift the heart and lift the head ! 

Lofty be its mood and grave ; 

Not without a martial ring, 

Not without a prouder tread, 

And a peal of exultation." 

It is a pleasure to add to this record a testimonial to the 
deeds and merit of several officers who did not leave the ranks 
until the rcsiiment disbanded. 



MEN OF RECORD. 247 

The Eighth Vermont had no braver officer than Capt. Moses 
McFarland, of Company A, who, with his plucky command, 
led the gallant charge of the rifle-pits in the battle of the 
Cotton. When the company organized he was elected first 
lieutenant, and upon the promotion of Capt. Grout succeeded 
him. He was an officer who always did his duty. After Maj. 
Mead was wounded in the morning fight at Cedar Creek, 
McFarland took command of the regiment, and for his services 
on that bloody field was especially complimented by the brigade 
commander, Col. Thomas. He remained in the army until 
the close of the war, and carried into private life a worthy 
soldier's record. 

Maj. H. M. Pollard went South as a war correspondent, 
accompanied Weitzel's brigade on its early campaigns, and was 
well known in the regiment. A vacancy occurring in Company 
I, he was commissioned as first lieutenant. He afterwards was 
promoted to be captain and major. He served for a time as 
provost marshal on the brigade staff in the Shenandoah Valley. 
Major Pollard was a brave and efficient officer, whose promo- 
tion was well deserved. 

Quartermaster Edward Dewey entered the Eighth Vermont 
January, 1864. He was appointed from civil life, but quickly 
adapted himself to the requirements of his position. Joining the 
regiment in Louisiana he accompanied it to Virginia, and par- 
ticipated in the battles of Opequon and Cedar Creek. On 
February nth, 1865, he was promoted to be captain and assist- 
ant quartermaster in the staff department of United States 
volunteers. 

Lieut. Col. Alvin B. Franklin entered the service as first 
lieutenant of Company H, and was promoted to the rank of 
captain, then major, and the lieutenant colonelcy. He was a 
brave and capable officer, and took part in every battle in which 
his regiment engaged. He was severely wounded at Raceland, 
and again at Cedar Creek ; and for gallant conduct at the latter 



248 THE EIGHTH VERMONT 

place Col. Thomas recommended that he be made brevet 
major. 

Capt. Wm. H. Smith, of Company F, entered the service as 
a private, was appointed sergeant of Company H, afterwards 
orderly sergeant, second lieutenant, then promoted to be first 
lieutenant of Company F, and later captain. He ably com- 
manded the skirmish line at Winchester, and was severely 
wounded at Cedar Creek. 

Surgeon H. H. Gillett entered the service with the regiment 
and continued till it was mustered out. Col. Thomas, who had 
known him long in civil life, asked him to accept a professional 
position upon his staff. The governor therefore commisioned 
him as assistant surgeon December loth, 1861. He reported 
promptly at Brattleboro, and his skill was early called into 
requisition to attend the numerous sick in that winter camp. 
His first duty as a surgeon was performed when he cared for 
the wounded from the fight at Raceland, where he was ably 
assisted by Hospital Steward Samuel H. Currier. In June, 
1862, upon the resignation of Dr. Gale, he was promoted to be 
surgeon of the regiment. He was with the Eighth on all the 
campaigns up the Teche, and was in charge of the brigade hos- 
pital during the siege of Port Hudson. He became a veteran 
surgeon with his regiment, and served in the campaign of 1864, 
in the Shenandoah Valley. At different times he served on 
the brio-ade and division staff. 



Assistant Surgeon O. E. Ross was commissioned September 
17th, 1863. He brought into the service an excellent reputation 
as a physician, and quickly won the confidence and regard of 
the regiment. Full of a genuine humor, he dispensed it liberally 
to all. While in the Shenandoah Valley, he was for a time 
medical director of the brigade. He remained with the regi- 
ment until the close of the war, and was mustered out June 28th, 
1865. 




IV. DO^^ 




■'■'■-Serct.^N-^- 




'^- H. SWll-t^ 





""^es wEv-C^ 






THE ''PARTING STONED 249 



IN RETROSPECT. 

The duty of a historian strictly ends where the thread of his 
narrative breaks off. But it is not easy to drop the comrades 
of a four-years' service as soon as the ink on their muster-out 
rolls is dry. A single backward look may be pardoned ere the 
veterans reach the " parting stone " that forks their different 
roads in civil life. The unthinking world, and even waiting 
families, can forgive the delay, while the toil-worn campaigners 
gather around their beloved officers, and through tears and 
smiles survey the eventful years since they donned the soldier's 
garb and went to war. 

The struggle in which the regiment took an active part 
marked a national epoch not less important than that which 
secured its independence, a period of trial and development 
unprecedented in any country under the sun. To every soldier 
who entered the conflict in a spirit of true loyalty it was a 
training school of the broadest type. While bearing arms in 
vindication of the terrible authority of national law, what vast 
themes of liberty and slavery, love and hate, intelligence and 
ignorance, must have occupied his thoughts. How grandly the 
gigantic problem worked itself out, under the guidance of a 
power that used the wisdom of statesmen and generals as they 
manoeuvred the troops in their commands. Little as the sol- 
dier or any one else was able to realize at the time what a 
mighty social and political revolution was in progress, the 
retrospect must have convinced him that the close of the war 
was the dawn of a new life, when he could say : 

" I awake to the higher aims 
Of a land that has lost for a little her lust of gold, 
And love of a peace that was full of wrongs and shames, 
Horrible, hateful, monstrous, not to be told. 
***** 
Though many a light shall darken, and many shall weep 
For those that are crushed in the clash of jarring claims, 
Yet God's just wrath shall be wreak'd on great liar. 
And many a darkness into the light shall leap, 



2 50 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

And shine in the sudden making of splendid names ; 

And noble thought be freer under the sun, 

And the heart of a people beat with one desire. 

***** 

Let it flame or fade, and the war roll down like a wind, 

We have proved we have hearts in a cause, we are noble still ; 

And mj^self have awakened, as it seems, to the better mind; 

It is better to fight for the good, then to rail at the ill. 

I have felt with my native land, I am one with my kind, 

1 embrace the purpose of God, and the doom assign'd." 

Or, full of deep and fervid patriotism, heated and welded at 
the forge of carnage, he might adopt the noble sentiment of 
Lowell, and say of his country : 

" What were our lives without thee ? 

What all our lives to save thee ? 

We reck not what we gave thee. 

We will not dare to doubt thee ; 

But ask whatever else, and we will dare." 

The particular school of military experience in which the 
members of the Eighth Vermont learned the great lesson of 
loyalty was peculiar. It flourished in different climes, it abode 
in tents, was peripatetic like that of Aristotle, rough and 
exacting in discipline. It began in the special legislation of a 
state ; the classes were formed by enlistment ; it was a school 
of theories, but the instruction given was chiefly in practical 
•experiments. There was no end of the drill under commis- 
sioned tutors ; but the grand exhibitions were held in Louisiana 
and the Shenandoah Valley. Were not May 1.2th, June 22d, 
and September 4th, 1862; January 14th and 15th, April 12th 
and 13th, May 27th, June 14th, and July 9th, 1863 ; September 
19th and 22d, and October 19th, 1864, public days long to be 
remembered.' And what of those great lessons learned at New 
Orleans, Algiers, and in the Teche country, during forty-four 
days before Port Hudson, and the fall term in the Valley.? 
Could men serve month after month under such masters as 
Butler, Banks, Grover, Weitzel, Emory, Sheridan, Dwight, 
Thomas, and leave the school uneducated .-' 



REVIEW OF THE SERVICE. 25 1 

Nor could it have escaped the notice of the veterans how 
nicely their study and drill had been graded, beginning with 
the simplest steps and rising to grander and more difficult 
achievements. They were scarcely fit to make an Opequon 
bayonet charge when they first started up the Opelousas Rail- 
road, though their courage was equal to it ; nor would they 
have checked Early's great army long enough to give their 
comrades " one golden hour," the day after their entry into 
New Orleans. Their deeds of heroism were in an ascending 
scale. 

Another noteworthy fact in the career of the Eighth 
Vermont was the length of its term of service in the field. 
The veterans enlisted for the war. Brig. Gen. van Patten 
accented this merit of the regiment when he said : " The 
history of the Eighth Vermont begins with the war and 
terminates at its conclusion. Early in the struggle it went 
to the field and remained at the front with its face to the 
foe until the bloody drama was over. The Gulf of Mexico, the 
Atchafalaya, the Mississippi, and the Shenandoah, witnessed its 
struggles and its triumphs. It went home with a dozen battles 
on its banner. It was reputed one of the best regiments in the 
Ninteenth Corps. The state of Vermont and the whole coun- 
try should be proud of its history. Its officers should be num- 
bered with the famous and renowned. Its whole muster roll 
should be written indelibly upon marble and brass." 

The regiment had for contemplation on returning to the 
state of Vermont, a positive record of deeds and endurance 
that did not need the help of comparison to heighten its lustre. 
They could safely rest on their laurels without being envious of 
the achievements of any other troops. Cowards seek to mend 
their own shortcomings by contrast with some that are worse. 
Gen. Thomas and his brave command could afford to challenge 
the verdict of the world on their accomplishment of the work 
they were sent into the field to do. They could claim the right 
to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," because they 
had done something to defend that right for others, and earn it 
for themselves. 



XII. 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT IN CIVIL LIFE. 

It was the glory of our country that, when its vast army of 
volunteer soldiers was disbanded, in 1865, they quietly returned 
to private life and assumed the duties of peaceful citizenship. 
Had the same thing happened in one of the older civilizations 
of Europe, that country would have been overrun by a lawless 
element, dangerous to society and difficult to control. Broadly 
speaking, the more fortunate experience of the United States 
was due to the greater measure of intelligence among its sol- 
diers. Their patriotism was thoughtful, their loyalty reasonable, 
and camp life did not debauch them. 

Nations and commanders well understand that the best sol- 
dier is not the ignorant, hairbrained man, boastful of his prow- 
ess, and glorying in brute force and petty broils ; but rather 
the educated man, who makes a real sacrifice to enter the army, 
and, knowing its peril, braves the dangers of war impelled by a 
sense of patriotic duty. The most effective guns have a thought 
behind them. He serves his country who takes up arms to 
save her, not he who enlists to gratify ambition or get a tempt- 
ing bounty. 

At the ballot box one voter counts as much as another, but 
in the army the quality of the man tells. It was proved over 
and over again during the war of the Rebellion, that the best 
regiments were those that represented the most brains and 
moral strength. The educated man may not excel in natural 
fearlessness or bravery ; but he feels what the ignorant man 



OUR COLONEL. 253 

often lacks — a sense of moral responsibility which holds him 
to his duty and his post, even when he knows the chances are 
he will be killed. 

The Eighth Vermont Regiment was largely composed of in- 
telligent, thoughtful, responsible men, who knew what they 
were doing when they enlisted, and were actuated by a sense 
of duty to enter a servdce of hardship and peril. This was the 
secret of their prominence on every battlefield where they 
fought, this the quality in them that called forth the tributes 
of commendation from superior officers that brighten the 
pages of this book. But the sterling qualities that go to the 
making of a good soldier are the same that win confidence and 
success for the citizen. It is no matter of surprise, therefore, 
that when those men resumed the occupations of peace, after 
their military service was ended, they marched easily and 
naturally to the front, and won distinction in their chosen fields 
of activity in civil life. Knowing that a large number of his 
veteran comrades in arms have been eminently successful in 
the learned professions, in business, and in political life, it is 
with peculiar pleasure that the writer closes these simple annals 
with a chapter of personal sketches. And he feels confident 
that it will be as acceptable as it is appropriate, to head the 
list with a brief biography of their beloved and honored leader, 



GENERAL THOMAS. 

Stephen Thomas needs no introduction to those who served 
with him in the army, or have read the preceding pages of this 
history. But since to know him is to respect and admire him, 
and because it is natural to wish to learn the personal history 
of one whom we admire, he has consented to the publication 
of those important facts which connect boyhood with manhood, 
the civilian with the soldier, the private citizen with the man 
of public affairs. 

It helps to account for the sterling bravery and rugged 
integrity of Gen. Thomas's character to know that he was 



2 54 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

descended from good Welsh stock, on the paternal side. These 
qualities were a heritage from the mailed knights of that 
glorious Arthurian age, who were 

" sworn to vows 
Of utter hardihood, utter gentleness, 
And, loving, utter faithfulness in love, 
And uttermost obedience to the king." 

His grandfather, Joseph Thomas, was born in New Hamp- 
shire, and was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary army. His 
father, John Thomas, was born in Amherst, N. H., and died on 
the field of battle in the war of 1812. His mother, Rebecca 
Batchellor, a native of Brookfield, Mass., belonged to a good old 
family of that town, whose ancestors immigrated to this 
country in 1630. Stephen, their third child, was born in Bethel, 
Vt., Dec. 6th, 1809. He had three brothers and two sisters, 
neither of whom is living. 

The general's early life was what the English would call 
" very Ameriqan." The schoolmaster had little to do with his 
corporal or his intellectual development. He attended for a 
while such a common school as the town of Thetford afforded in 
those days, but at eighteen years of age was apprenticed to a 
woollen manufacturer, learned the trade, and followed it for 
several years in the towns of Thetford, Stafford, and Fairlee. 
Then he went to Hartland and started a factory of his own, 
which was soon destroyed by fire, and he resumed work in 
Thetford, and finally in West Fairlee. 

In 1S30 Gen. Thomas married Pvliss Ann Peabody, of Read- 
ing, and a son and a daughter were born to them, both of 
whom are grown up. The former has settled in Wisconsin, and 
the latter, having lost her husband and her mother, lives with 
her father. 

Very early in life Gen. Thomas evinced a decided capacity 
and taste for public affairs, and soon became a recognized 
leader in local politics. , He cast in his lot with the Democratic 
party, and worked conscientiously for its interests in whatever 
honorable avenue was open to him. At the age of twenty-si.x, 



A BUSY LIFE. 255 

while living in West Fairlee, he was appointed sheriff of 
Orange county. That office gave him an opportunity to become 
familiar with the business of the courts, and for several years he 
gave attention to the prosecution of Revolutionary pension and 
other claims. For eight years he was connected with the pro- 
bate court of his county, first as register of probate, then as 
judge. 

The ability for leadership displayed by Gen. Thomas soon 
gave him a wide reputation in political circles, and, finding him 
both judicious and trustworthy, the people put him forward 
to advocate their interests. He represented them in the 
General Assembly in 1838, 1839, 1S45, 1846, i860, and 1861, 
and was a state senator in 1848 and 1849. I^ iB,6o and 1861 
he was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, and 
secured a large vote, but his party failed to elect. He was also 
chosen to fill the responsible position of delegate from his state 
to the National Democratic Convention, during several presi- 
dential years. In 1848 he was an alternate, and in 1852, 1856, 
and i860, a delegate. 

It was in those national conventions that Thomas became 
intimately acquainted with the southern prejudice and animus, 
and acquired that seer's vision which enabled him to read the 
horoscope of the country's future in advance of most of his 
contemporaries. Convinced early in i860 that a great sectional 
struggle over the radical differences between North and South 
was inevitable, the prospect so troubled him that for months 
he could not banish it from his thoughts, and scarcely from his 
dreams. So deeply had the gravity of the national situation 
impressed itself on his mind, that it brought to him a sense of 
relief when the firing of the first gun at Fort Sumter precipi- 
tated the war and decided the course of the gov^ernment. Then 
the deep convictions which had been long repressed, found 
room for action, and became the motive power which invested 
all that he did and said with superlative power. 

Having honestly and earnestly taken his stand on the burn- 
ing questions of the hour, Gen. Thomas could no longer remain 
a universal favorite. His radical, progressive policy would 



256 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

not ally itself with Democratic conservatism, and a faction of 
those who had been his firm political supporters came to repudi- 
ate and hate him. The attitude of his party and the education 
of the army were the means of conversion in his case, as in 
that of many other officers who entered the struggle as stanch 
Democrats and came out Republicans. In 1864 he voted the 
Republican ticket, but made up his mind to do so silently, and 
take no active part in political affairs. But the leaders who had 
so long counted on him could not overlook the desertion of their 
platform, and, after remonstrating with him in vain, ended in 
persecuting him, until he was compelled to take up the issue 
publicly in defence of his course. "Thomas," they said, when 
he returned from the war, " Thomas, you 've changed ; we 
have n't." " Fools never do," was his witty reply. 

But in changing party affiliations Gen. Thomas did not for- 
sake his political principles, or his rugged honesty of purpose. 
He carried into the Republican ranks the same inflexible pur- 
pose to do what was for the common good that had actuated his 
conduct in earlier years, and the party recognized and honored 
him for it. In 1867 and 1868 he served them and the state 
most acceptably as lieutenant governor, and might have been 
re-elected for the third term had he not positively refused the 
use of his name. He would not be a candidate for governor 
when urged thereto by his friends ; but in other ways he per- 
formed a vast amount of useful public service. For eight years, 
beginning with 1870, he was United States pension agent, and 
in that capacity helped to reform many abuses and impositions 
in the modes of collecting such claims, by which petty lawyers 
extorted unreasonable fees at the expense of poor widows and 
orphans. He was state delegate to the soldiers' convention 
that nominated Gen. Grant to the presidency ; he has been 
commander of the Grand Army of his state, president of the 
Officers' Reunion Society, and president of the State Soldiers' 
Reunion. 

For several years Gen. Thomas has resided at Montpelier, 
and has found time to interest himself in agriculture, and mean- 
while has not refused the demands of jniblic service whenever 



IN CIVIL LIFE. 257 

the voice of duty called, or there was good to be accomplished. 
At the age of seventy-six he enjoys excellent health, and is 
remarkably vigorous. He takes ah active interest in the 
affairs of his town and the country, and makes his influence 
widely felt in the political movements that engage the attention 
of the state. 

The same elements of character which won the respect and 
confidence of the Eighth Regiment in their colonel, and en- 
deared him to them as a father, — the sturdy rectitude that 
bound him to the right, and kept him safe from the seductions 
of evil policy, — have given Gen. Thomas an assured place in the 
hearts of his fellow-citizens, who delight to show their gratitude 
for his distinguished services by acts of public honor and per- 
sonal kindness. 

It would be hollow eulogy of the subject of this sketch to 
insist on making him a symmetrical character ; the sphere of 
human activity seldom demands a perfectly balanced man. 
But it is safe to say that his great strength and capacity for 
usefulness lay in a clear apprehension of the right thing to do, and 
the proper time to do it ; blindness to the suggestions of wrong ; 
courage to stand by his convictions, and postpone the less to the 
greater good ; a deep moral sense of equity and personal respon- 
sibility ; and a heart loyal to duty, his country, and his God. 

Patriotic Vermont has had a long list of civil officers who 
served in the Union army. Among those who have filled the 
executive chair with honor, were Washburn, Proctor, Farnham, 
Barstow, and Pingree. 

Since his retirement from the army, Major John L. Barstow 
has filled many positions, and always to his credit. He had 
hardly reached his home after leaving Louisiana, before he 
was called into the state service by the offer of a responsible 
position in the recruiting service by Adj. Gen. Washburn, 
which he was obliged to decline on account of shattered health. 
In the following September, he was elected a member of the 
legislature, and it was during the session in which he served 
that St. Albans was attacked by Confederate raiders from Can- 
17 



258 THE EIGHTH VERMONT 

ada. At the request of Gen. Washburn, he went to the scene 
of action by the first train, and the next day was sent into 
Canada on a special mission, by Major Austine, United States 
military commandant of the state. This famous raid created 
such an excitement that a law was soon passed, establishing three 
brigades of militia, of four regiments each, and Major Bars tow 
was elected by the legislature as one of the brigade com- 
manders. 

Under this commission, he was ordered by Gov. Smith to 
take command of the provincial forces on the northwestern 
frontier, where he remained on duty until relieved by Gen. 
Stannard, in January, 1865. In September of that year he 
was again elected to the legislature by the unanimous vote of 
his town, and in the years 1866 and 1867 he was state senator 
from Chittenden county. In 1870 he was appointed U. S. 
pension agent at Burlington, which office he held for nearly 
eight years, discharging its duties in such a manner as to call 
from Hon. Carl Schurz, then secretary of the interior, an auto- 
graph letter of thanks. In 1879 Gov. Proctor appointed him 
state commissioner for the centennial celebration of the sur- 
render of Cornwallis at Yorktown, and he rendered effective 
service in securing government aid for the undertaking, and for 
the monument, and in arranging plans for the celebration. 

In 1880 he was elected lieutenant governor of thj state, for 
the biennial term, and was chosen by the legislature one of the 
trustees of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural 
College, which position he held in 1882 and 1883, by virtue of 
his office as governor, to which he had been elected in 1882. 
The Ely riots occurred during his term of office, and his course 
in requiring that justice should precede force, and that the 
riotous miners should be paid their honest dues, attracted much 
favorable comment throughout the country. 

Pending the nomination of his successor, in 1884, a major- 
ity of the Republican newspapers in the state advocated his 
renomination, but he declined to become a candidate. The 
quality of his service as governor, judged by the press, is 
shown by an extract from the Rutland Herald of October, 



IN CIVIL LIFE. 259 

1884, then edited by the well-known critic, Lucius Bigelow. In 
commenting upon Gov. Barstow's final message, he said : 

"He has more than fulfilled the flattering promises made for him by his 
friends when he was nominated. He has been as careful, independent, 
able, and efficient a governor as we have had in Vermont during the last 
twenty years, a period which includes executives of the quality of Dilling- 
ham, Peck, and Proctor.'' 

The Brattleboro Reformer, of same date, one of the leading 
opposition papers, said : 

" This message, like Gov. Barstow's inaugural, also will take rank among 
the best and most sensible state papers ever presented in Vermont." 

Col. John B. Mead is well known in Vermont. He has been 
an active advocate of the temperance movement, and widely 
interested in agriculture and in public schools. He has been 
representative to the legislature, senator from Orange county, 
state superintendent of agriculture, and at the International 
Exhibition at New Orleans, in 1885, he was commissioner for 
Vermont, and at the Exposition of 1886 did the same service 
for New England. Col. Mead is a fluent public speaker, and 
urges his opinions with enthusiasm and eloquence. 

Lieut. Col. A. B. Franklin has been a member of both 
branches of the legislature of Vermont, and served for several 
years as master of the state grange, and president of Wind- 
ham County Agricultural Society. 

Lieut. Col. Charles Dillingham has resided in the South since 
he left the army. For several yeais he was engaged in mer- 
cantile business. He served a term as United States naval 
officer at New Orleans. He is at present receiver of the 
Houston and Texas Railroad Company. 

Capt. W. W. Lynde served with distinction in the legisla- 
ture of Vermont for a number of years, and was prominent both 
in the House and the Senate. He was elected by the General 
Assembly quartermaster general of the state, and held the 
position for several years. 



26o THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Major H. M. Pollard settled in Missouri after he retired 
from the army, and very soon became a leading lawyer in the 
courts. He represented Missouri one term in congress, and 
then took up his residence in St. Louis. 

Capt. Henry E. Foster and Capt. F. D. Butterfield were 
custom house officers at Derby Line for several years. 

Commissary Sergeant William H. Gilmore has served as 
representative to the legislature of Vermont, and was two 
years a state senator. For several years he was president of 
the Orange County Agricultural Society. 

Quartermaster Fred E. Smith has been very successful as a 
business man. He is prominent in the Grand Army of the 
Republic of Vermont, and was a delegate to the convention in 
Chicago when Gen. Grant was first nominated for president. 
For a number of years he has been secretary of the Reunion 
Society of Vermont Officers. He is vice-president of the Ver- 
mont Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and a director of the First 
National Bank of Montpelier. He is also concerned officially 
in several manufacturing interests. He has been active in the 
promotion of education, is a trustee of Norwich University, 
and is president of the Public Library Association of Montpelier. 

Lieut. J. Elliott Smith has been for years superintendent 
of the fire alarm telegraph of New York City. He is recog- 
nized as one of the most prominent electricians in the country. 

Cyrus U. Lathrop has been a successful farmer, and has 
served as assistant judge of the Orange county court. 

Capt. L. M. Hutchinson was a member of the Vermont 
legislature in 18S4 and 1885, and at present is railroad commis- 
sioner for Edmonds county, Dakota Territory. 

Rufus E. Smith was deputy sheriff of Santa Barbara county, 
California, for five years. 

Drum Major G. H, Flagg, after being mustered out of the 



IX CIVIL LIFE. 261 

regiment, remained in New Orleans, and was a member of the 
Louisiana legislature during the reconstruction period. 

Capt. Geo, O. Ford, Lieut. Wheaton Livingston, and Major 
Grout, have been largely interested in agriculture. 

Capt. H. E. Perkins was a resident of New York state for 
some years, and on his return to Vermont was elected captain 
of the Barlow Greys at St. Albans, a position he now holds. 
It is one of the best of the Vermont militia companies. 

Lieut. Col. Henry F. Button controls large interests in 
Florida, and is at the head of a flourishing banking house. 

Lieut. James Welch has been a successful farmer and manu- 
facturer. 

Quartermaster Edward Dewey has long been connected with 
the National Life Lisurance Company, and is at present vice- 
president of the company. 

Capt. S. E. Howard is secretary of a cattle company in 
Wyoming Territory. 

Surgeon Geo. F. Gale is eminent in his profession in Vermont, 
and a prominent citizen of the state. 

Chas. A. Dean is the manager of the largest Manila 
paper and paper bag manufacturing company in the United 
States. 

Herbert E. Hill has been successful in the cotton business 
and cotton manufacturing, which has brought with it a large 
and pleasant acquaintance through the South. He has been 
vice commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. 
While secretary of the Middlesex Club, of Boston, he secured a 
visit of one week from Gen. Grant, as guest of the club. He 
was selected by the electoral college as special messenger to 
carry to Washington the Massachusetts vote for Garfield and 
Arthur. 



262 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Lieut. H. W. Downs has been successful as a silk manufac- 
turer. 

Capt. W. H. Smith has a well-established law practice in 
Chicago. 

Lieut. W. H. H. Holton served in the legislature of Vermont, 
and for several years has been inspector of customs in New 
York. 

B. F. Parkhurst, after remaining a few years in Vermont, 
removed to Worcester, Mass., and entered the service of the 
state. In his private affairs he l]as been very prosperous. 

Surgeon H. H. Gillett, and Assistant Surgeon S. H. Currier, 
have both served in the legislature of Vermont. Both are suc- 
cessful practitioners. 

Lieut. Lewis Childs has held the position of president of the 
Gold Room, in Boston. 

Capt. S. H. Shattuck has been largely interested in educa- 
tional matters, and was professor in Norwich University for 
several years. 

D. D. Fairbanks, Levi H. Parker, Ethan P. Shores, William 
H. Silsby, Martin J. Pond, and Granger C. Spencer, of Com- 
pany K, have been members of the legislature of Vermont. 

There were four brothers in the regiment by the name of 
Shontell, all six-footers, and brave soldiers. One of them died 
of disease while in the service ; William is chief of police in the 
city of Brainard, Minn., and Xenophon Udall is a clergyman 
in Loyalton, Dak. 

Lieut. M. L. Hodgkins is in the United States Land Office in 
Florida. 

B. F. Bowman was the projector of the Vermont colony at 
Loyalton, Dak. 



A WAR GOVERNOR. 263 

Lieut. Geo. E. Selleckis one of the most prominent and active 
citizens of Brattleboro, Vt. 

Wm. B. Stickney is well known in educational circles, and 
served as superintendent of colored schools in the city of New 
Orleans. 

Sergt. O. H. Sprague is a partner in a leading wholesale 
house in Chicago. 

Capt. Moses McFarland has been prominent in the local 
affairs of his town. 

Asst. Surgeon O. E. Ross has made a fine reputation at his 
home in Maine. 

Hospital Steward C. M. Ferrin controls a large practice as 
physician, and is held in high esteem by all the old comrades 
as secretary of the Eighth Vermont Society. 

Fred E. Smith served on Gov. Fairbanks's staff as colonel 
and A. D. C. ; George N. Carpenter served on Gov. Dilling- 
ham's staff as colonel and A. D. C, and is a trustee of Norwich 
University ; William H. Gilmore served on Gov. Barstow's staff 
as colonel and A. D. C. ; Herbert E. Hill served oh Gov. Tal- 
bot's staff, in Massachusetts, as colonel and A. A. G. 



GOVERNOR HOLBROOK. 

Although he did not belong to the Eighth regiment, Hon. 
Frederick Holbrook, the war governor of the state, had much 
to do with the camp at Brattleboro, which was called after his 
name, and deserves fitting mention in this book. All the 
commissions of the original officers of the regiment bore his 
signature, and, being a resident of Brattleboro, he took a deep 
personal interest in its welfare. 

Governor Holbrook's name was familiar to the people of 
Vermont long before he was elected to fill the executive chair. 



264 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

He had been active in developing the agricultural resources of 
the state, and for many years was president of the State Agri- 
cultural Society. Being so well and favorably known, he had 
the confidence and sympathy of the people when he became 
governor during the trying days of 1862. A great responsi- 
bility at once devolved upon him, but he entered upon the 
work with enthusiasm, and was prompt to co-operate with 
President Lincoln by raising and sending troops to the front. 



MILITARY HISTORY 



COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, 



The date of each commission immediately follows the name and rank. 



Stephen Thomas. Colonel, Nov. 12, 1S61 ; brigadier general, 
United States volunteers, Feb. i, 1865 ; brevet major general, United 
States volunteers; commanded a brigade most of the time while 
colonel ; acted as military commander at Algiers, La., on the west 
bank of the Mississippi ; served with distinction in the Shenandoah 
Valley under Sheridan ; ordered a successful charge on his own re- 
sponsibility at the battle of Opequon ; in the morning fight at Cedar 
Creek, with a single brigade he checked the advance of Early's army 
on the pike. 

John B. Mead. Second lieutenant Company G, Jan. 7, 1862 ; ist 
lieutenant Company G, April 2, 1863 ; captain Company G, May 5, 
1863; major, July 26, 1864; lieutenant colonel, Nov. 24, 1864; 
colonel, March 4, 1865 ; taken prisoner at Bayou des Allemands, Sept. 
4, 1862 ; wounded Oct. ig, 1864, at the battle of Cedar Creek ; 
mustered out June 28, 1865. 

Edward M. Brown. Adjutant 5th Vermont Volunteers, Aug. 24, 
1861 ; lieutenant colonel Sth Vermont, Jan. 9, 1862 ; resigned Dec. 
23, 1862 ; by order of Gen. Butler was detailed as editor of the Delta, 
at New Orleans. 



266 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Charles DillillgllJim. Captain Company D, 2d Vermont Volun- 
teers, May 22, 1861 ; major 8th Vermont Volunteers, Jan. 19, 1862 ; 
lieutenant colonel, Dec. 24, 1862; resigned Dec. 12, 1863; com- 
manded his regiment during the siege of Port Hudson ; served on 
military commission for several months in New Orleans. 

Henry F- Duttoil. Captain Company H, Jan. 17, 1862 ; major, 
June 12, 1863; lieutenant colonel, Dec. 28, 1863; honorably dis- 
charged Nov. 16, 1864, for wounds received in action at Winchester, 
Virginia, Sept. 19, 1864; commanded special detail of sharpshooters 
at the battle of the Cotton ; honorably mentioned by Col. Thomas 
in his report of the engagement ; commanded skirmishers at the 
battle of Bisland ; in transmitting his commission as major, the 
governor stated that Capt. Dutton was promoted for " distinguished 
services at the battle of the Cotton." 

Alvin B. Frailklin. First lieutenant Company H, Jan. 17, 1862 ; 
wounded June 22, 1862 ; captain Company H, June 12, 1863 ; major, 
Nov. 24, 1864; lieutenant colonel, March 4, 1865; mustered out June 
28, 1865 ; complimented in Colonel Thomas's report to the adjutant 
general of Vermont, for brave action at Cedar Creek, and recom- 
mended to be brevetted major ; inspector general on brigade staff. 

Luman M. Ctrout. Captain Company A, Nov. 13, 1861 ; major, 
Dec. 24, 1862 \ resigned June 11, 1863. 

John L. BarstOW. Quartermaster sergeant ; adjutant, Feb. 19, 
1S62 ; captain Company K, Mar. 21, 1863; major, Dec. 28, 1863; 
mustered out June 22, 1864 ; honorably mentioned for his personal 
services in the engagement of the Cotton \ served as assistant adjutant 
general on the brigade staff during the siege of Port Hudson ; com- 
plimented in report of brigade commander for gallantry in the assault 
on Port Hudson, June 14; in command of the recruits and those 
who did not re-enlist, while the veterans were on furlough ; for a time 
post commander at Thibodeaux, La. 

Henry M. PolLard. First lieutenant Company I, July 12, 1863; 
captain, Nov. 7, 1863 ; major, April 6, 1865 5 mustered out June 
28, 1865 ; served as provost marshal on brigade staff. 

Henry Carpenter. Private Company A, Oct. 23, 186 1 ; corporal, 



MILITARY RECORD. 267 

Feb. 18, 1862; sergeant; ist sergeant; sergeant major, Sept. 17, 
1863; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist lieutenant Company F, Aug. 23, 
1864; adjutant, Nov. 24, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865. 

Fred E. Smith. Quartermaster, Nov. 23, 186 1 ; honorably dis- 
charged Nov. 30, 1863 ; served as acting commissary of subsistence, 
on the staff of Gen. Godfrey Weitzel, while he commanded brigade 
and division in Louisiana. 

Edward Dewey. Quartermaster, Jan. 12, 1864; captain and 
assistant quartermaster U. S. volunteers, Feb. 11, 1865. 

James Welch. Private Company G, Nov. 20, 1861 ; sergeant 
Feb. 18, 1862 ; 2d lieutenant May 5, 1863 ; honorably discharged 
as 2d lieutenant Feb. 17, 1865, for wounds received in aciion Oct. 
19, 1864, at Cedar Creek ; quartermaster, March 27, 1865 ; mustered 
out June 28, 1865 ; commanded the skirmish line of second brigade, 
first division, 19th A. C, at battle of Cedar Creek. 

Geo. F. Oale. Surgeon, Dec. 10, 1861 ; resigned June 24, 1862, 

Herman H. Gillett. Assistant surgeon, Dec. 10, 1861 ; surgeon 
June 25, 1862 ; mustered out June 28, 1865 ; was detailed at different 
times for staff duties, and for duty as director of General Hospital. 

Samuel H. Currier. Hospital steward, Feb. iS, 1862 ; assistant 
surgeon, June 25, 1862; resigned Oct. 20, 1862. 

Cyrus H. Allen. Assistant surgeon, Oct. i, 1862 ; surgeon 5th 
Vermont Volunteers, Oct. i, 1864. 

Oliver E. Ross. Assistant surgeon, Sept. 17, 1863 ; mustered out ■ 
June 28, 1865 ; served for a time on brigade staff. 

J. Elliott Smith. Quartermaster sergeant ; lieutenant on Gen. 
Butler's staff; military superintendent of telegraph, department of the 
Gulf. 

Francis C. Williams. Chaplain, Dec. 20, 1861 ; mustered out 
June 22, 1864. 

Thomas Bayne. Chaplain, Feb. 23, 1865 ; mustered out June 
28, 1865. 



268 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

CAPTAINS. 

Moses McFarlaild. First lieutenant Company A, Nov. 13, 1861 ; 
captain Dec. 24, 1862 ; mustered out, June 28, 1865; was honorably 
mentioned for his services at the battle of the Cotton, and also for his 
gallantry at Cedar Creek; part of the day commanded the regiment 
at Cedar Creek. 

Charles B. Child. Captain Company B, Dec. 19, 1861 ; resigned 
Oct. 21, 1863; was provost marshal at Algiers, La., for several 
months. 

Frederick D. Butterfleld. Second lieutenant Company B, Dec. 
19, 1861 ; ist lieutenant, June 15, 1863 ; captain, Nov. 7, 1863 ; re- 
signed July 22, 1864 ; was detailed as signal officer in May, 1862, and 
served through the war in that branch of the service. 

John Bisbee. Private Company B, Nov. 22, 1861 ; 1st sergeant, 
Feb. 18, 1862 ; wounded June 14, 1863 ; 2d lieutenant Company B, 
July 15, 1863 ; ist lieutenant, Nov. 7, 1863 ; captain, Aug. 21, 1864; 
mustered out June 28, 1865. 

Henry E. Foster. Captain Company C, Dec. 23, 186 1 ; wounded 
May 27, 1863 ; resigned Aug. 15, 1863 ; when the Opelousas Railroad 
was opened, Capt. Foster became military superintendent. 

George N. Carpenter. Private; sergeant major, Feb. 18, 1862; 
ist lieutenant Company C, June i, 1862 ; captain Company C, August 
15, 1863 ; served as acting adjutant of the regiment, and aid-de-camp 
on brigade staff ; discharged July 2, 1864, to accept appointment as 
captain and commissary of subsistence U. S. volunteers ; the last year 
of the war he served on the staff of Gen. R. A. Cameron, U. S. 
volunteers. 

S. E. Howard. Private Company H, Nov. 19, 1S61 ; ist 
sergeant, Feb. 18, 1862 ; 2d lieutenant Company H, Jan. 12, 1863 ; 
captain Company C, July 26, 1864; honorably discharged, Dec. 9, 
1864, for wounds received in action at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 
1864; served as acting quartermaster of the regiment, Jan. to Dec, 
1863; in charge of recruiting party sent to Vermont, Dec, 1863, to 
March, 1864; acting adjutant during veteran furlough of regiment; 



MILITARY RECORD. 269 

A. A. D. C. on brigade staff, and acting quartermaster of brigade; 
judge advocate of court martial held on steamer Cahawba, between 
New York and New Orleans. 

Joseph N. DimtOU. Private Company H, Nov. 23, 1S61 ; 
corporal, Feb. 18, 1862 ; sergeant ; ist sergeant, Nov. 26, 1863 ; re-en- 
listed Jan. 5, 1864; 2d lieutenant Company H, Feb. 20, 1864; ist 
lieutenant Company H, Nov. 24, 1864 ; captain Company C, March 
3, 1865 ; mustered out June 28, 1865. 

Cyrus B. Leach. Capt. Company D, Dec. 28, 1861 ; mustered 
out June 22, 1864. 

Alfred E. Getchell. ist lieutenant Company D, Dec. 28, t86i ; 
captain, July 26, 1S64 ; mustered out Feb. 26, 1865. 

William H. Haskins. Private Company D, Nov. 21, 1861 ; 
hospital steward, June 25, 1862; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; captain 
Company D, March 3, 1865 ; mustered out Feb. 26, 1865. 

Edward Hall. Capt. Company E, Jan. i, 1862 ; wounded June 14,, 
1863 ; died Oct. 28, 1864, of wounds received in action at Cedar 
Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864; taken prisoner at Des Allemands, La., 
Sept. 4, 1862. 

Lemuel M. Hutchinson. Private Company A, Oct. I, 1861 ; 
ist sergeant, Feb. 18, 1862 ; 2d lieutenant Company A, July 23, 
1862 ; ist lieutenant Company A, Dec. 24, 1862 ; captain Company 
E, Nov. 24, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865; served as acting 
adjutant of the regiment for a few months. 

Hiram E. Perkins. Captain Company F, Jan. 3, 1862 ; dis- 
charged for promotion as major in U. S. colored troops, May 31, 1863. 

Daniel S. Foster. ist lieutenant Company F, Jan. 3, 1862 ; 
captain, April 9, 1863; mustered out June 22, 1864. 

William H. Smith. Private Company H, Nov. 19, 1861 ; 
sergeant, Feb. 18, 1862; ist sergeant, Jan. 13, 1863; ist lieutenant 
Company F, October i, 1863 ; captain Company F, July 26, 
1864; wounded, June 22, 1862, and Oct. 19, 1864; mustered out 



270 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

June 28, 1865 ; commanded the skirmish line for his brigade at Win^ 
Chester, Sept. 19, 1864; on duty as acting post commissary at 
New Haven, Conn. 

Samuel G. P. Craig. Captain Company G, Jan, 7, 1862. Died 
May 4, 1863, at Opelousas, La., of disease. 

John M. Pike. Private, Company G, Dec. 6, 1861 ; sergeant, 
Feb. 18, 1862 ; ist sergeant ; 2d lieutenant Company G, April 2, 
1863; wounded, June 14, 1863; ist lieutenant Company G, May 5, 
1863 ; captain, July 26, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865. 

S.imiiel W. Shattuck. Drafted July 15, 1863 ; appointed adju- 
tant Oct. 20, 1863; wounded Oct. 19, 1864; captain Company H, 
Nov. 24, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865. For a time served as 
acting assistant adjutant general of second brigade, first division, 19th 
Army Corps. 

William W. Lyude. Captain Company I, Jan. 17, 1862; 
resigned Oct. iS, 1S63, on account of ill health. 

Francis E. Warren. Private Company I, Dec. 23, 1861 ; cor- 
poral, Feb. 18, 1862 ; sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist sergeant, 
June 8, 1864; wounded Sept. 19, 1864; ist lieutenant Company I, 
Feb. 23, 1865 ; captain, April 18, 1865 ; mustered out June 28, 
1865. 

John S- Clark. Captain Company K, Jan. 22, 1862 ; died 
March 20, 1863, of disease, at Hospital Hotel Dieu, New Orleans, 
La, 

Geo. 0. Ford. Private Company K, Dec. 16, 1861 ; sergeant, 
Feb, 18, 1862; 2d lieutenant Company K, Feb. 19, 1863; ist lieu- 
tenant Company K, July i, 1863 ; wounded Sept. 19, 1864, and Oct. 
19, 1864; mustered out Feb. 26, 1865. 

James W. Smith. Private Company K, Feb. 3, 1S62 ; corporal ; 
sergeant; ist sergeant, Feb. 17, 1864; re-enlisted Feb, 18, 1864; 2d 
lieutenant Company K, Feb, 20, 1864; captain Company K, Feb, 23, 
1865 ; mustered out June 28, 1865. 



MILITARY RECORD. 2/1 

FIRST LIEUTENANTS. 

Ezra H. Brown. Private Company A, Oct. i, iS6i ; corporal, 
Feb. i8, 1862 ; sergeant; ist sergeant, Dec. 14, 1863 ; re-enlisted Jan. 
5, 1864; ist lieutenant Company A, Dec. 13, 1864; mustered out 
June 28, 1865. 

Stephen F. Spalding, ist lieutenant Company B, Dec. 19, 
1861 ; killed in action at Port Hudson, La., June 14, 1863; was 
acting adjutant of the regiment when he was killed in the charge of 
14th of June. 

Wheaton Livingston, Jr. Private Company B, Dec. 2. 1861 ; 
corporal; sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist sergeant, June 9, 
1864; wounded Sept. 19, 1864; ist lieutenant Company B, Aug. 21, 
1864; mustered out June 28, 1865. 

Edward B. Wrigllt. 1st lieutenant Company C, Dec. 23, 1861 ; 
resigned June 6, 1862. 

Lewis Child. Private Company D, Dec. 7, 186 1 ; regimental 
commissary sergeant, March i, 1862 ; ist lieutenant Company C, 
Dec. 6,-1863; mustered out June 30, 1865; served as actfng com- 
missary of subsistence on staffs of second brigade and first division 
of Nineteenth Army Corps ; received honorable mention for gallant 
service at the battle of Cedar Creek. 

Edward F. Gould. Private Company D, Jan. 3, 1862 ; sergeant 
Feb. 18, 1862; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist sergeant, April 22, 1864; 
ist lieutenant Company D, July 26, 1864; mustered out June 28, 
1865. 

Kilburn Day. ist lieutenant Company E, Jan. i, 1862 ; re- 
signed Dec. II, 18O2. 

Andrew J. Sargent. Private Company K, Feb. 13, 1862 ; ist 
sergeant, Feb. 18, 1862; 2d lieutenant Company E, July 24, 1862; 
ist lieutenant Company E, Dec. 12, 1863; wounded Oct. 19, 1864; 
mustered out Feb. 26, 1865 ; taken prisoner at Bayou des Allemands, 
La., Sept. 4, 1862. 

Geo. G. Hutchins. Private Company E, Jan. 10, 1862 ; sergeant ; 
ist sergeant, Aug. i, 1863 ; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864 ; 2d lieutenant 



2/2 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Company E, Feb. 20, 1864; ist lieutenani Company E, Feb. 23, 
1865 ; mustered out June 28, 1865. 

Merrill L. Hodgkins. Private Company H, Dec. 6, 1861 ; cor- 
poral, Feb. 18, 1861; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; regimental commissary 
sergeant, June 9, 1864; ist lieutenant Company F, Nov. 24, 1864; 
mustered out June 28, 1865. 

Job W. Green, ist lieutenant Company G, Jan. 7, 1862 ; resigned 
April I, 1863 ; taken prisoner at Bayou des Allemands, Sept. 4, 1862. 

Martin L. Bruce. Private Company G, Nov. 27, 186 1 ; corporal 
Jan. I, 1864; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; sergeant July i, 1864; wounded 
Oct. 19, 1864; ist lieutenant Company G, March 3, 1865 ; mustered 
out June 28, 1865. 

Waitstill R. Pettee. Private Company H, Dec. 10, 1861 ; cor- 
poral j re-enlisted Jan. 5, [864; sergeant, April 12, 1864; regimental 
quartermaster sergeant, July i, 1864; 2d lieutenants Company H, 
Nov. 24, 1864; ist lieutenant Company H, March 3, 1865; mustered 
out June 28, 1865. 

Geo. N. Holland, ist lieutenant Company I, Jan. 17, 1862 ; re- 
signed Oct. 25, 1862. 

Joshua C. Morse. 2d lieutenant Company I, Jan. 17, 1862 ; ist 
lieutenant, Oct. 25, 1862; resigned July 10, 1863. 

George E. Selleck. Private Company I, Dec. 7, 186 1 ,• ist ser- 
geant, Feb. 18, 1862 ; 2d lieutenant Company I, Oct. 25, 1862 ; ist 
lieutenant Company I, Nov. 7, 1863 ] mustered out Feb. 26, 1865. 

Frank R. Warner. Private Company I, Jan. 13, 1862 ; corporal ; 
sergeant; re-enlisted Feb. 18, 1864; ist sergeant; 2d lieutenant 
Company I, Feb. 20, 1864; ist lieutenant, April 18, 1865; mustered 
out June 28, 1865 ; detailed as aid on General McMillan's staff. 

Adonirani J. Howard, ist lie\itenant Company K, Jan. 22, 
18G2 ; died Nov. 18, 1862, of disease ; served for a time as acting 
quartermaster of the regiment. 

Geo. F. French. 2d lieutenant Comi)any K, Jan. 22, 1862; ist 
lieutenant Jan. 3, 1863; resigned June 21, 1863; was detailed for 



MILITARY RECORD. 273 

the signal service May, 1862, and served in that corps until he retired 
from the army. 

Nathan C. Cheney. Private Company K, Dec. 9, 186 1 ; musician, 
Feb. t8, 1862; sergeant; ist sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist 
lieutenant Company K, Dec. 28, 1863; died Oct. 21, 1864, of wounds 
received in action at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864. 

Perry Porter, Jr. Private Company K, Jan. i, 1862 ; sergeant 
Feb. 18, 1862 ; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864 ; ist sergeant April 12, 1864; 
wounded June 14, 1863, and Sept. 19, 1864; ist lieutenant Company 
K, Nov. 24, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865. 

SECOND LIEUTENANTS. 

Gilnian S. Rand. 2d lieutenant Company A, Nov. 13, 1861 ; 
died July 22, 1862, of disease at Algiers, La. 

Aaron K. Cooper. Private Company A, Sept. 26, 1861 ; corporal, 
Feb. 18, 1862 ; sergeant ; 2d lieutenant Company A, Dec. 24, 1862 • 
killed in action at Cedar Creek, Virginia, Oct. 19, 1864. 

Henry H. Newton. Private Company A, Oct. 19, 1861 ; corporal ; 
sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; 2d lieutenant Company A, Dec. 
13, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865 ; served on brigade staff. 

William H. Spencer. Private Company B, Nov. 30, 1861 ; 
sergeant, Feb. 18, 1862 ; wounded June 14, 1863 ; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 
1864; ist sergeant; 2d lieutenant Company B, Feb. 20, 1864; hon- 
orably discharged March 9, 1865, for wounds received in action at 
Cedar Creek, Virginia, Oct. 19, 1864. 

Clirtiss W. Lynn. Private Company B, Nov. 25, 1861 ; corporal ; 
re»enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; sergeant, March 24, 1864; ist sergeant, 
March 2, 1865 ; 2d lieutenant Company B, April 6, 1865 ; mustered 
out June 28, 1865. 

Frederick J. Fuller. 2d lieutenant Company C, Dec. 23, 186 1 ; 

dismissed the service June 2, 1863. 

John A. Ripley. Private Company C, Nov. 30, 186 1 ; corporal, 
Feb. 18, 1862; sergeant; ist sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; 
2d lieutenant Company C, Feb. 20, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865. 
18 



274 ^'^^ EIGHTH VERMOXT. 

Darius G. Child. 2d lieutenant Company D, Dec. 28, 1861 ; 
died of disease July 20, 1862, at Algiers, La. 

Dennis Buckley. Private Company D, Nov. 2, 186 1 ; ist ser- 
geant, Feb. 18, 1862 ; 2d lieutenant Company D, July 22, 1862 ; 
cashiered and dismissed the service Dec. 7, 1863. 

Nathaniel Robie. Private Company D, Nov. 22, 1861 ; sergeant, 
Feb. 18, 1862; ist sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; wounded May 
27, 1863, and Sept. 19, 1864; 2d lieutenant Company D, Feb. 20, 
1864; died at St. Johnsbury, Vt., Dec. 6, 1864, of disease. 

Horace P. Emerson. Private Company D, Dec. 9, 1861; cor- 
poral, July I, 1863 ; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; sergeant, April 22, 1864 ; 
2d lieutenant Company D, March 3, 1865 ; mustered out June 28, 
1865. 

Truman P. Kellogg. 2d lieutenant Company E, Jan. i, 1862 ; 
died July 23, 1862, of disease, at Algiers, La. 

Newell H. Hibbard. Private Company E, Sept. 30, 186 1 ; cor- 
poral, Feb. 18, 1862; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; sergeant, Feb. 23, 
1864; ist sergeant, June 8, 1864; 2d lieutenant Company E, Feb. 
23, 1865; resigned June 12, 1865. 

Carter H. NaSOn. 2d lieutenant Company F, Jan. 3, 1862 ; dis- 
missed the service June 2, 1863. 

Franklin R. Carpenter. Private Company F, Nov. 25, 186 1 ; 
corporal, Feb. 18, 1862; 2d lieutenant Company F, Dec. 8, 1863; 
wounded Oct. 19, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865; taken prisoner 
at Cedar Creek, 

Abner N. Flint. Private Company G, Dec. 18, 1861 ; corporal; 
re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist sergeant, July i, 1864; 2d lieutenant 
Company G, Nov. 24, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865. 

William H. H. Holton. 2d lieutenant Company H, Jan. 17, 
1862 ; wounded at liaceland, La., June 22, 1862 ; resigned Jan. 13, 
1863, and entered the service again in Invalid Corps. 



MILITARY RECORD. 275 

Hyiuenius A. Davis. Private Company H, Dec. 23, 1861 ; 
corporal, Feb. 18, 1862; sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist 
sergeant, April 12, 1864; 2d lieutenant Company H, March 3, 1S65 ; 
mustered out June 28, 1S65. 

Henry W. Downs. Private Company I, Nov. 28, 1861 ; corporal ; 
sergeant, Dec. 13, 1863; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist sergeant; 
March 21, 1865 ; 2d lieutenant Company I, April 18, 1S65 J rnustered 
out June 28, 1865. 

George W. Hill. Private Company K, Dec. 9, 186 1 ; corporal, 
Feb. 18, 1862; vi^ounded Sept. 4, 1862; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; 
sergeant, Feb. 11, 1864; ist sergeant, Feb. 6, 1865; 2d lieutenant 
Company K, Feb. 23, 1865 ! mustered out June 28, 1865. 

Officers discharged from regiment as field and staff, 20; as captains, 
24; as ist lieutenants, 21 ; as 2d lieutenants, 20 ; total officers, 85. 



Promotions of Enlisted Men. 



COMPANY A. 



SERGEANTS. 



Riser, Harvey O., promoted in colored 
regiment, Sept. 14, 1863. 

CORPORALS. 

Holbrook, Cornelius D., sergeant. 
Woods, Horace, musician ; sergeant. 

PRIVATES. 

Albee, Stephen C, corporal. 

Beard, Charles W., corporal, April 4, 

1865. 
Brown, Kirk F., corporal ; sergeant, Dec. 

14, 1863. 
Blood, Oilman W., corporal. May 9, 1S65. 
Brackett, Aurick S., hospital steward, 

April 12, 1865. 
Blake, Chas. W., captain U. S. C. T. 
Carpenter, Jephaniah, corporal ; sergeant, 

March 4, 1865. 
Clark, Rufus H., captain U. S. C. T. 
Downey, Henry D., corporal; sergeant, 

May 9, 1865. 
Fiillin^gton, Chas. B., lieutenant U. S. C. T. 
Goodridge, Oscar W., captain U. S. C. T. 
Hill, Seth C, sergeant, Dec 14, 1863 ; ist 

sergeant, Feb. 25, 1S65. 
Hovey, Rodger, corporal. 
Kent, Melvin P., corporal. 
Mudgett, Geo. E., corporal, Dec. 3, 1863. 
Page, Albert W., corporal. 



Page, \Vm. B., corporal, March 15, 1865. 

Smith, Harvey P., lieutenant. 

Tobin, Michael B., promoted in colored 

regiment, Sept. 14, 1863. 
Tobin, Alfred L., corporal ; sergeant, Feb. 

23, 1S65. 
Wells, Marshall W., corporal, t 
Westover,' Wm. O., lieutenant. 
Wood, Chas. G., lieutenant. 
Willey, Martin C, corporal, May 9, 1865. 

COMPANY B. 

CORPORALS. 

Holt, Henry H., sergeant ; ist sergeant, 

May 2, 1865. 
Harney, Hiram P., 2d lieutenant National 

Guards, August 1862. 
Moran, Asa B., sergeant, June 9, 1864. 

MUSICIANS. 

Blake, Isaac, chaplain colored regiment. 

PRIVATES. 

Atherton, John, corporal, Nov. i, 1864. 
Barrett, Chas. S., corporal, March 2, 1864; 

sergeant, May 2, 1865. 
Blanchard, Geo. F., corporal, June 9, 1864. 
Baraby, Joseph, corporal. May 2, 1865. 
Bowen, John, musician. 
Cunningham, Wm., musician. 
Dawson, John R., corporal, July i, 1S64. 
Foss, Henry M., corporal. 



PROMOTIONS. 



277 



Griffin, Geo. E., corporal, November i, 

1S64. 
Halladay, Wilbert E., corporal ; sergeant, 

July I, 1864. 
Henry, VVm. H., corporal; sergeant, March 

2, 1865. 
McAuliffe, John, corporal. May 2, 1865. 
Mooney, Edward, lieutenant U. S. C. T. 
Murphy, Patrick, corporal, May 2, 1S65. 
Parsons, Walter W., corporal. 
Smith, John C, corporal, Nov. i, 1864. 
Reed, Winslovv T., corporal, March 2, 

1865. 
Warren, Myron P., corporal. 

COMPANY C. 

SERGEANTS. 

Abbott, Henry C., promoted in Second 

Louisiana Volunteers, Sept. i, 1862. 
Hawley, A. P., captain U. S. C. T. 

CORPORALS. 

Gilman, John, sergeant. 

Lynn, Orange S., sergeant. 

Crosby, William K., promoted in Second 

Louisiana Volunteers, Aug., 1862. 
Prouty, Elijah K., promoted in Second 

Louisiana Volunteers, Oct. i, 1862. 

PRIVATES. 

Adams, John, corporal, July i, 1864. 
Cushman, Francis C, musician. 
Chamberlin, Lawrence K., promoted in 

Second Louisiana Volunteers, Aug., 

1862. 
Cobban, Simon C. F., corporal, June i, 

1864. 
Goodell, Geo. C, corporal. 
Herriman, Turrill E., corporal ; sergeant, 

July I, 1864 ) 1st sergeant, Dec. 30, 

1864. 
Jay, Nathan P., corporal, Jan. 5, 1864. 
Kennedy, Horace W., promoted second 

lieutenant Louisiana volunteers, Feb. 

28, 1863. 
Lathrop, Cyrus W., corporal, March 30, 

1865. 
Leavitt, Nehemiah, sergeant. 



Lewis, Sumner W , lieutenant U. S. C. T. 
Martin, Carlos, corporal, Jan. i, 1S65. 
McNab, Carlos, wagoner. 
Montret, Adolphe, corporal, Jan. i, 1865. 
Noyes, James, promoted in Louisiana 

National Guards, Dec. 31, 1862. 
Noyes, Parker J. 2d lieutenant Louisiana 

volunteers. 
Noyes, William, captain. 
Potwin, Napoleon, corporal ; sergeant , 

Jan. 5, 1864. 
Pinard, Jovite, corporal, June i, 1864; 

sergeant, Jan. i, 1S65. 
Putnam, Cornelius H , corporal, July i, 

1864 ; sergeant, March 30, 1865. 
Severance, Henry V., corporal ; sergeant; 

sergeant major, Oct. 16, 1864. 
Smith, Henry L., corporal ; sergeant, April 

12. 1864. 
Spencer, Loren PL, corporal; sergeant, 

July I, 1864. 
Swinger, Lawrence, corporal, July i, 1864. 
Simons, Orin, corporal, June i, 1864. 
Titus, Lewis R., lieutenant U. S. C. T. 
Whipple, Hiram L., promoted second 
lieutenant Louisiana volunteers, Feb. 
28, 1863. 
Woods, Samuel N., corporal, July i, 1864. 

COMPANY D. 

CORPORALS. 

Peabody, William S., lieutenant U.S.C.T. 
Gilmore, Wm. H., promoted quartermas- 
ter sergeant, July i, 1862. 

PRIVATES. 

Austin, Geo. H., corporal; sergeant. ' 
Bacon, Hiram, Jr., corporal ; sergeant, 

Feb. 23, 1865. 
Baldwin, Absalom, corporal. 
Daniels, Oscar B., corporal, Feb. 23, 1865. 
Haynes, Edward W., corporal, May 5, 

1 86 5. 
Hayward, Putnam, corporal. 
Lake, Edwin, corporal. 
Mann, Stephen H., corporal; sergeant; 

commissary sergeant, Feb. 6, 1865. 



2/8 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 



Mills, Jacob, Jr., sergeant; ist sergeant, 
Sept. I, 1864. 

Richardson, Henry C, corporal ; sergeant, 
Sept. II, 1864. 

Rowe, Rufus H., sergeant. 

Sprague, Lyman W., corporal, May 5, 
1865. 

Taplin, Horace E., corporal; sergeant, 
Sept. II, 1864. 

Tuttle, Elias J , corporal. 

Tattle, Geo. L., corporal, May 5, 1865. 

Wild, Azariah T., quartermaster 3d col- 
ored regiment. 

COMPANY E. 

CORPORALS. 
Phelps, John F., sergeant. 
Bowman, Benjamin F., sergeant, June 8, 
1864 ; 1st sergeant, March 20, 1865. 

PRIVATES. 

Abbott, Calvin B., musician. 

Brandt, Aleck, corporal. 

Corliss, Albert A., corporal, June 8, 1864 ; 

sergeant, March 20, 1865. 
Hills, William P., corporal, Feb. 15, 1864. 
Holmes, Ira, corporal Jan. i, 1864. 
Hull, Horace A., corporal, March i, 1865. 
Jones, John P., corporal, July i, 1864. 
Labarron, Robinson, corporal, July i, 

1864. 
Larned, Rollin E., musician, transferred 

from Company G. 
Maxham, George, corporal, July i, 1864. 
Morse, Andrew J., corporal, Jan. i, 1864. 
Mason, Hezekiah W., corporal, March i, 

1.865. 
Putman, Hiram M., corporal ; sergeant, 

July 1, 1864. 
Phelps, Benijah, corporal, July i, 1864; 

sergeant, March 20, 1865. 
Pike, Geo. T., corporal, Nov. i, 1S64. 
Reynolds, Henry A., musician. 
Staples, Francis H., corporal ; sergeant. 

July I, 1S64. 
Staples, Charles, corporal, Nov. i, 1S64. 
Tirrell, Eri W., corporal, March i, 1865. 



COMPANY F. 



SERGEANTS. 



Nichols, Henry C, discharged for pro- 
motion, Oct. 8, 1863. 

CORPORALS. 

Wood, Xenophon W., sergeant. 

PRIVATES. 

Burnham, Benjamin F., discharged Dec. 

13, 1864, for promotion in colored 

troops. 
Bartron, Napoleon, Jr., corporal. 
Bordo, Julius, corporal. May 18, 1865. 
Clapper, Jacob, corporal. May 18, 1865. 
Davis, John E., corporal. 
Davis, Lewis A., corporal. 
Dicker, William A., corporal, March 18, 

1865. 
Duling, John, corporal, July i, 1864. 
Ellsworth, Hebron, corporal ; sergeant, 

July I, 1864. 
Faueuf, Geo. N., corporal, July i, 1864 ; 

sergeant, May 18, 1865. 
Gardner, Michael, corporal ; sergeant, 

March i, 1865. 
Lampher, Edgar R., corporal ; sergeant, 

July I, 1864; 1st sergeant, April i, 1S65. 
Mitchell, Diamond B., corporal, April 27, 

1865. 
Phelps, Henry W., corporal. 
Payne, Dighton L., corporal. May i, 1865. 
Saltus, Edward, corporal ; sergeant. 
Sanderson, Hiram L., corporal. May i, 

1865. 
St. Louis, Jesse, wagoner, July i, 1864. 
Wheeler, Henry B., corporal, July i, 

1864. 
Wood, Ephraim, corporal, July i, 1864; 

sergeant, May 18, 1865. 
Wright, Edward B., ist sergeant, July i, 

1864. 
Whitney, Henry D., corporal. May i, 

1865. 



FROMOTIOA'S. 



279 



COMPANY G. 



CORPORALS. 



Sargent, Johnson B., sergeant. 

Lewis, Leonard R., sergeant, Nov. 2, 1S63. 

Loomis, Charles A., sergeant. 

PRIVATES. 

Battles, Charles W., corporal. 
Battles, Ira, corporal, Jan. i, 1S64. 
Bissell, Lucius W, commander in Third 

Louisiana National Guards, Jan. 24, 

1863. 
Bement, James H, corporal, Nov. i, 1S64. 
Coles, Seymour N., corporal, July i, 1864. 
Culver, Seymour, corporal, March i, 1865. 
Eaton, Daniel W.,' corporal, Nov. i, 1S63; 

sergeant, July i, 1S64; ist sergeant, 

March i, 1865. 
Flanders, Thomas N., corporal, July i, 

1864; sergeant, April 12, 1865. 
Hatch, John, corporal, July i, 1864 ; 

sergeant, March i, 1865. 
Lewis, David W., corporal, Nov. i, 1863; 
Lyman, Joel F., corporal, Nov. i, 1864. 
Ordway, Charles H., corporal, Nov. i, 

1864. 
Plumley, Wm. D., corporal. May 23, 1864. 
Pierce, Chas. A., corporal, Nov. i, 1864. 
Richards, George, corporal, May i, 1865. 
Sprague, Tyler E., corporal, Jan. i, 1864 ; 

sergeant, July i, 1864. 
Sumner, Samuel W., corporal ; sergeant, 

May 23, 1864. 
Titus, Henry H., corporal, March i, 1864; 

sergeant, Nov. i, 1864. 

COMPANY H. 

SERGEANTS. 

Winslow, L. I., sergeant ; captain. 

PRIVATES. 

Allen, Jonathan V., corporal ; sergeant, 

Feb. 28, 1864. 
Aldrich, Milo D., corporal, Dec, 8, 1864. 
Barker, Augustus, corporal, Nov. 26, 1863. 
Brimhall, Fred F., corporal, June 2, 1865. 



Brown, Henry B., corporal ; sergeant, 

Nov. 22, 1S63. 
Brown, Marion M., corporal, July i, 1864. 
Childs, Samuel S., corporal, April 12 

1864. 
Crowley, Noah S., corporal, July i, 1864. 
Davis, Otis A., corporal, April 12. 1865. 
Frasa, Joseph, corporal, July i, 1864. 
Holt, Lovell S., fifer, Jan. i, 1863. 
Howard, Horace W., corporal, July i, 

1864. 
Lee, Edwin P., corporal, April 12, 1S64 ; 

sergeant, April 12, 1S65. 
Lee, Alfred A., corporal, June 2, 1865. 
Merrifield, Albert H., corporal ; sergeant, 

July I, 1864. 
Martin, Anselm, principal musician, Feb. 

2, 1865. 
Morgan, Andrew B., corporal, Feb. 23, 

1865. 
Peck, Joseph H., corporal, July i, 1864; 

sergeant, April 12, 1S65. 
Parsons, William H., corporal, June 2, 

i86i. 
Perry, Wm. W., Jr., corporal. 
Prouty, Fred M., musician. 
Puffer, Henry, corporal, June 9, 1864 ; ser- 
geant, Dec. 8, 1864; 1st sergeant, April 

12, 1865. 
Smith, Stillman, lieutenant 2d Louisiana 

volunteers. 
Steinburg, John G., corporal, Feb. 28, 

1864; sergeant, July i, 1864. 
White, Ira M., corporal. 

COMPANY I. 

CORPORALS. 

Gregory, Edward P., sergeant. 

Thorn, Rufus C, sergeant, June 8, 1864. 

Lamb, Lewis H., sergeant. 



Bartlett, Clarence A., corporal; sergeant. 
Brown, Charles F., corporal, Oct. Ii, 

1864. 
Bemis, Leonard C, corporal. 



28o 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 



Burrows, George P., corporal, March 21, 

1865. 
Black, James F., corporal. 
Brown, George D., corporal, March 3, 

1865. 
Eddy, George P., corporal. 
7 Hill, Herbert E., corporal, May 2, 1865. 
Mills, Daniel B., corporal. May 2, 1865. 
Kerr, Alonzo D., corporal, sergeant; 

March 21, 1865. 
Sawyer, Willard W., corporal ; sergeant, 

Oct. 19, 1864; quartermaster sergeant, 

March 2, 1865. 
Smith, Charles S., corporal ; sergeant, 

July I, 1864; ist sergeant, May 2, 1865. 
Worden, Alfred S., corporal. 
Woodman, John P., corporal, July i, 1864. 
Ward, Austin H., corporal, Sept. 19, 1864 ; 

sergeant, May 2, 1865. 

COMPANY K. 

CORPORALS. 
Gil man, Geo. D., sergeant. 
Snow, Chauncey M., sergeant. 



PRIVATES. 
Barron, Harry V., corporal, Nov. i, 1864. 
Douglas, Franklin B., corporal, July i, 

1864. 
Drown, Aaron, corporal, Nov. I, 1864. 
Hart, William A., corporal, Nov. i, 1864. 
Leonard, Willis R., corporal, Feb. 6, 1865. 
Parker, Levi H., corporal; sergeant, July 

I, 1864. 
Perham, Lyman F., corporal. 
Pierce, Ezra S., corporal. 
Price, Edward, corporal, Feb. 17, 1864. 
Petrie, William, musician. 
Roberts, Perley P., corporal, April 12, 

1864; sergeant. May 28, 1865. 
Shores, Ethan P., corporal, Nov. 26, 1863 ; 

sergeant, July i, 1864. 
Silsby, Wm. H., corporal, Dec. 23, 1S63 ; 

sergeant, Feb. 6, 1865. 
Simons, Solon L., corporal; sergeant, April 

12, 1864 ; 1st sergeant, March 20, 1865. 
Oscar, corporal, March 20, 



Thomas, 
1865. 

Turbush, 
1865. 



George, corporal, March 20, 



RECA F I TULA TION. 28 1 



Officers of the Eio-hth Vermont Regiment. 

During the period of its military service the Eighth Vermont Regiment had one 
hundred and thirty-four different commissioned officers, including two colonels, five 
lieutenant colonels, seven majors, three adjutants, three quartermasters, two sur- 
geons, four assistant surgeons, two chaplains, thirty captains, thirty-nine first lieuten- 
ants, and thirty-seven second lieutenants. 

It had sixteen non-commissioned staff officers, including four sergeant majors, four 
quartermaster sergeants, four commissary sergeants, three hospital stewards, and 
one drum major. 

The number of commissioned officers belonging to each company was as follows ; 
Company A, nine; Company B, eleven; Company C, nine; Company D, nine; 
Company E, nine; Company F, nine ; Company G, twelve ; Company H, twelve ; 
Company I, thirteen ; Company K, thirteen. 



Battles and Skirmishes in which the Eighth Vermont 
Resfiment was ensfao^ed. 

The Eighth Vermont Regiment took part in the following engagements : 

Raceland June 22, 1862 

Boutee Station Sept. 4, 1862 

Bayou des Allemands Sept. 4, 1862 

Battle of the Cotton Jan. 14, 1863 

Bisland April 12, 1863 

Bisland April 13, 1863 

! Assault ' May 27, 1863 

Night engagement June 10, 1863 

Assault June 14, 1863 

Donaldsonville July 10, 1863 

Opequon (Winchester) Sept. 19, 1864 

Fisher's Hill Sept. 22, 1864 

Night engagement near Woodstock Sept. 22, 1864 

Cedar Creek Oct. 19, 1864 

Newtown Nov. 12, 1864 

To these should be added skirmishes of more or less importance, at New Market, 
Harrisonburg, Mount Jackson, Summit Point, and many others. 

The regiment, or some portion of it, was under fire on sixty-two different days, 
including battles and skirmishes, when some of the men were either killed or 
wounded. 

*The siege lasted forty-four days, during which the regiment was constantly under fire and suffered 
daily casualties. 



N on-Commissioned Officers and Privates 



Who Died from Disease and Other Causes, except Casualties in Battle. 



COMPANY A. 

Martin, Sergt. Chas. C , July iS, 1S62. 
Whitcomb, Musician Lewis, May 20, 1S64. 

PRIVATES. 

Albee, Stephen C, May 4, 1865, from bad 

treatment while prisoner. 
Benson, Lucius M., July 31, 1862. 
Bickford, Dennis, N. Oct. 6, 1862. 
Buckley, Chas. IL, June 23, 1862. 
Carpenter, Josiah D., Dec. 2, 1862. 
Chamberlin, Joseph W., Jan. 11, 1864. 
Clement, James H., Jan. 10, 1863. 
Eaton, Ransom, May 26, 1863. 
Geer, Thomas L., Dec. 15, 1864. 
Gale, Justus F., Sept. 19, 1863. 
Kidder, Aaron B., June 10, 1864. 
Lathrop, Julius M., Dec. 31, 1864. 
Marston, Ira L, Jan. 10, 1863. 
Merriam, John W., Sept. 24, 1863. 
Morse, Orson, March 5, 1865. 
Norton, William, March 21, 1864. 
Robinson, Ransom E., July 20, 1862. 

COMPANY B. 

Lunt, Corp. Benjamin P., July 23, 1862. 
Piper, Corp. Nathaniel A., Aug. 9, 1863. 
Hill, Wagoner James H., shot by Private 
O'Mere, May 14, 1S63. 



PRIVATES. 

Allyn, Paschal W., Dec. 24, 1S64. 
Bacon, Elias, Oct. 28, 1S63. 
Barnard, Francis B.. May 22, 1863. 
Bodett, Peter, Aug. 7, 1862. 
Berry, Richard, May 23, 1864. 
Bombard, Alonzo H., May 24, 1S65. 
Fairbanks, Freeman A , ALirch 30, 1S64. 
Gray, Orin, June 6, 1864. 
Hill, Titus, Aug. 17, 1862. 
Horn, Joseph, July 9, 1862. 
Lee, William S, July 3, 1863. 
McCabe, Hiram, Sept. 19, 1862. 
McKenzie, Andrew, drowned, June 27^ 

1862. 
Parlin, Abel A., June 13, 1863. 
Stafford, Isaac B., March 26, 1864. 
Turner, Chas. W., July 25, 1862. 

COMPANY C. 

Waldron, Sergeant Benjamin, March 29, 

1S65. 
Lynn, Sergeant Orange S., June 18, 1S63. 
Brill, Corporal David N., Aug. 28, 1863. 
Jay, Corporal Nathan P., at Salisbury, 

N. C. Nov., 1864. 

PRIVATES. 

Bailey, (ieorge W., July 22, 1862. 



THE LIST OF DEAD. 



283 



Bebard, Ezra, May, 1863. 
Chamberlin, Benjamin, Aug. 12, 1864. 
Clark, Lewis A., Nov i, 1863. 
Clough, Joel, July 23, 1862. 
Derby, Henry N., March 31, 1864. 
Evans, Walter D., June 25, 1863. 
Farnham, Horace S., Sept. 16, 1864. 
George, Joseph, July 16, 1864. 
Haskins, Leonard, July 21, 1S62.. 
Hayward, Oscar F., Nov. 11, 1862. 
Hill, William, Aug. 17, 1862. 
Kiser, Hiram S., date not known. 
McGaffey, Alonzo, June 3, 1862. 
McColley, James, April 15, 1865. 
Noyes, John W., June 28, 1863. 
Page, Albert E., May 20, 1864. 
Pettee, Jacob L., July 6, 1863. 
Prisby, Hollis W., Aug. 23, 1S63. 
Rosebush, Martin, July 5, 1863. 

COMPANY D. 

Woodbury, Corp. Chas. W., March 22, 

1863. 
Garland, Corp. Edwin P., March 4, 1864 

PRIVATES. 

Avery, Geo. W., June 28, 1862. 
Allen, John, April 14, 1865. 
Avery, Sylvester H., June 3, 1863. 
Bugbee, Charles P., Nov. 28, 1862. 
Barber, Chas. S., Feb. 26, 1865. 
Carpenter. Edmund, Nov. 3, 1864. 
Eastman, Harmon W., April 10, 1863. 
Fay, James T., Aug. 30, 1864. 
Foot, Dennis \V., Nov. 27, 1862. 
Foster, Ezekiel, Dec 20, 1862. 
Harradan, Geo. W., died, 1864. 
Johnson, Eben E., Dec, 1863. 
Lamb, Chas. S., April 21, 1862. 
Liscom, John E., Nov. 24, 1862. 
Meder, Horace E., March 25, 1863. 
Magaghan, John, drowned May 31, 1864. 
Peabody, Luther, killed by explosion of 

ammunition team, Nov. 7, 1862. 
Shumway, Monroe, Dec. 15, 1862. 
Stevens, Elbridge E., June 11, 1864. 
Thomas, Freeling G., Oct. 22, 1864. 



COMPANY E. 

Maxham, Corp. Orrin, Feb., 1S63. 
Wilson, Corp. Francis, Dec. 5, 1S62. 
Maxham, Wagoner Oscar, at Salisbury, 
N. C, Jan. 25, 1865. 



Becker, Gustavus C, prisoner Sept. 4, 

1862 ; shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862. 
Bailey, Amos, June 22, 1862. 
Bellows, Franklin, July 20, 1864. 
Bailey, Samuel A., Sept 23, 1862, 
Bowen, Dustin, Jr., Dec. 9, 1864. 
Barrett, Levi, Oct. 4, 1863. 
Bahne, Deidrich, prisoner Sept. 4, 1862 ; 

shot bv rebels Oct. 23, 1862. 
Corliss, Stephen, April"22, 1863. 
Davis, John, July 31, 1864. 
Emery, Ezra H., July 10, 1863. 
French, David E., Nov. 10, 1S62. 
Grant, Geo. R., killed on Vermont Valley 

Railroad, June 27, 1865, while (:n route 

to Brattleboro to be mustered out. 
Harding, John W., March 6, 1865. 
Hills, Charles E. L., July 3, 1863. 
Hurst, Bernard, prisoner Sept 4, 1S62 ; 

shot by rebels Oct. 23. 1S62. 
Kinson, Benjamin H., June 18, 1S62. 
Keeler, Frederick L., June 13, 1864. 
Kempton, Oliver W., April 20, 1864. 
McMurphy, Julius, Nov. 16, 1S63. 
Morey, Robert, Jan., 1863. 
Mosman, Michael, prisoner Sept. 4, 1862. 

shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862. 
Morse, Luther \V., June 19, 1863. 
Newell, William, April 4, 1864, 
Lamed, Rollin E., at Salisbury, N. C, 

Nov. 2, 1864. 
Leichleider, John, prisoner Sept. 4, 1S62; 

shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862. 
Leichleider, Michael, prisoner Sept. 4, 

1862 ; shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862. 
Olden, Daniel, Nov. 7, 1864. 
Olden, George E., May 16, 1864. 
Paul, Frank, prisoner Sept. 4, 1862; shot 

by rebels Oct. 23, 1862. 
Poor, George H., Sept. 29, 1862. 



284 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 



Reed, Alfred M., Aug. 15, 1S62. 
Reed, Andrew J., Aug. 29, 1863. 
Sabin, David P., Sept. 26, 1863. 
Shontell, Frederick, May 16, 1S62. 
Slayton, Theodore, April 22, 1S63. 
Warren, Alonzo S., March 19, 1863. 
Webster, Ephraim, Nov. 11, 1S62. 
Wheat, Geo. F., March 14, 1S62. 
Wood, Henry M., Sept. 3, 1862. 
Wood, William W., July 14, 1863. 
Woodbury, Asa, April 27, 1863. 
Walker, Erastus A., August 29, 1S64. 

COMPANY F. 

Chase, Sergt. Bonaparte J., June 30, 1S63. 

PRIVATES. 

Barnes, Chester W., July 12, 1S63. 
Davis, John E., Sept. 20, 1864. 
Duling, John, March 24, 1865. 
Goddard, Elisha A., June 26, 1862. 
Goodchild, John M., June 19, 1863. 
Henchey, Thomas H., died at Salisbury, 

N. C, Jan., 1865. 
Moshier, Lewis, July 28, 1863. 
Meyers, George, March 8, 1864. 
Mathews, Geo. W., May 31, 1864. 
Parker, Geo. E., May 24, 1864. 
Saul, Edmond, June 23, 1862. 
Scribner, Geo. W., May 2, 1863. 
Taylor, Henry W., Aug. 27, 1863. 

COMPANY G. 

Sumner, Sergt. Samuel W., August 6, 

1864. 
Lewis, Sergt. Leonard R., May 22, 1864. 
Woodbury, Corp. Dudley C, Sept. 10, 

1863. 
Walker, Corp. George, April 27, 1862. 
Lewis, Corp. David W,, July 8, 1864. 



Arnold, Benjamin F., at Salisbury, N. C, 

Dec. 29, 1864. 
Atwood, Irving H., Aug. 12, 1S64. 
Blanchard, Adolphus, April 12, 1863. 



Brown, Wm. H., prisoner, and shot by 

enemy, March 7, 1863. 
Coy, Charles C, Aug. 22, 1864, on board 

U. S. steamer, Mississippi. 
Carmody, Con., July 23, 1863. 
Darling, Joseph, June 10, 1864. 
Depathy, John F., Sept. 4, 1863. 
Depuys, Antoine, Oct. 16, 1864. 
Evans, Lyman B., Sept. 13, 1863. 
George, Jethro S., April 14, 1864. 
Horton, Prescott, died on way to hospital 

in Vermont. 
Howard, Chester J., July 19, 1862. 
Harlow, Wm. W., April 29, 1864. 
Hoezle, Louis, June 28, 1863. 
Honey, Aman S., March 28, 1864. 
Hull, Felix F., May 15, 1863. 
Kemp, Langdon, July 16, 1863. 
Kinney, Andrew J., July 22, 1863. 
Kean, Dennis, shot by rebels, March 7, 

1863, while prisoner. 
Montgomery, Judson M., June 12, 1862. 
Morrill, John F., Feb. 22, 1865. 
Putnam, George P. Nov. 27, 1864. 
Quimby, Henry S., Feb. 24, 1863. 
Rotary, Victory, June 2, 1862. 
Stevens, Nathaniel L., April 21, 1864. 
Spear, Edwin, June 2, 1862. 
Smith, George W., May 30, 1864, at An- 

dersonville, Ga. 
Slack, Charles D., March 15, 1865. 
Titus, Graham N., August 21, 1862. 
Twilight, Charles B. P., July 12, 1863. 
Trask, Reuben L., April 24, 1864. 
Whitcher, Alfred, April 20, 1865. 

COMPANY H. 

Higgins, Corp. Alvin G., Dec. 9, 1863. 
Hilliard, Corp. Gilbert G., Sept. 14, 

1863. 
Gale, Wagoner Burnell B., Aug. 16, 1862. 

PRIVATES. 

Bush, Alonzo P., Aug. 26, 1862. 
Butler, Herbert J., July 13, 1864. 
Brown, Lansford H., May 24, 1865. 



THE LIST OF DEAD. 



285 



Fish, Walter W., April 25, 1S64. 
Hale, Albert T., July 19, 1S62. 
Henry, James M., Oct. 15, 1862. 
Jackson, Wills, June 10, 1864. 
Kilburn, Nathaniel A., March 11, 1865. 
Lincoln, Matthias, April 6, 1864. 
Miller, Ransom B., Jan. 10, 1863. 
Oaks, Ebenezer, Jr., Oct. 15, 1862. 
Prouty, John, date unknown. 
Twombly, Albert J., Jan. 17, 1863. 
Way, Oscar H., April 8, 1865. 
Wood, Andrew J., July 27, 1862. 

COMPANY I. 

Hudson, Corp. Bonaparte, May 24, 1S62. 

PRIVATES. 

Arling, Solomon S., July 23, 1863. 
Bryant, Joseph C, Sept. 3, 1864. 
Carrol], Henry W., June 19, 1865. 
Davis, Eros L., March 18, 1862, on ship 

Wallace. 
Dunklee, Willard S., March 17, 1865. 
Fairbanks, Wayland E., Jan. 25, 1865. 
Gregory, Stephen, June 24, 1863. 
Hill, Elbridge G., June 13, 1863. 
Lamson, Daniel, March 10, 1863. 
Phillips, Hiram O., June 28, 1S64. 
Rice, Orrin L., Aug. 21. 1862. 
Robinson, Moses W., March 11, 1865. 
Smith, William, died at New Orleans, 

date unknown. 
Tooley, David A., Aug. 30, 1863. 



Wood, Lewis A., Aug. 17, 1S63. 
Worden, Francis N., June 23, 1S62. 

COMPANY K. 

Ford, C!orp. Alonzo L.; Sept. 3. 1863. 
Day, Wagoner Wesley H., July 12, 1S63, 
of accidental gunshot wound. 



Aldrich, John H., March 18, 1S63. 
Ball, Frederick, July 25, 1864. 
Bartlett, Chas. W., Nov. 29, 1862. 
Bates, George D., Nov. 9, 1862. 
Boyce, John W., March i, 1862. 
Buzzell, Solon D., April 29, 1862. 
Chase, William E., at Algiers, La., date 

unknown. 
Cole, Daniel, July 6, 1863. 
Croteau, Joseph, June i8. 1862. 
Dunton, Geo. W., Nov. i, 1863. 
Farnham, Charles H., Sept. 4, 1862. 
French, Geo. W., died, date unknown. 
Gordon, John G., July 8, 1863. 
Griffin, Otis E., Aug. 14, 1863. 
Grow, Charles H., Aug. 5, 1862. 
Hartwell, James S., Nov. 5, 1862. 
Hudson, William C, May 7, 1863. 
Jenkins, Willis, July 23, 1862. 
Nutter, Henry B., April 18, 1S65. 
Parker, Oramel H., Nov. 6, 1862. 
Silsby, Charles, March 27, 1864. 
Thomas, Lewis, Oct. 16, 1864. 
Woodruff, Henry, July 4, 1S63. 



286 



THE EIGHTH lEKMOXT. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 



FIELD, STAFF, AND NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Coniiuission. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Colonel, Stephen Thomas . 
Lt. CoL, Kdwanl M. Brown 
Maj., Ohas. Dillingham 
Stirgeoii, Geo. F. Gale . 
Asst. Surq.. ir. H. Gillett 
.-ff//7., Joiui L Barstcnv 
Q. M., Fre<l E. Smitli . 
Chaplain, Francis O. Williams 



West Fairlee 
Montpelier . 
Waterhury . 
Brattleboro 
Corinth . . 
Stielbnrne . 
iVIontpelier . 
Brattleboro 



Nov. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Feb. 
Xov. 
Dec. 



12, 1861. 
9. 1862. 
24, 18G2. 
10, 1861. 
10, 1861. 
10. 1S62. 
TA, 1S61. 
20, 1861. 



Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
June 
June 
June 
Nov. 



21, ise."). 
2o, 1862. 
12, 1863. 
24, 1862. 
28, 186.5. 

22, 1864. 
30, 186."?. 



June 22, 1864. 



NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF. 



Name. 



Residence. 



. Date of 

"^^e- Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Sergt. Maj., Geo. N. Carpenter 
Drum AlaJ., Gershom II. Flagg 
Q. M. Sergt., J. Elliott .Smith 
Com. Sergt., Lewis Child . . 
Hospital' Steivard, S. H. Currier 



Northfield . 
Richmond . 
ISIontpelier . 
Fairlee . . 
West Fairlee 



Feb. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 



1, 1862. 
1, 1861. 
1, 1861. 
7, 1861. 
10, 1861. 



July 
Jan. 
May 
Jan. 
Oct. 



2, 1864. 

5, 1864. 
17, 1862. 
30, 1865. 
20, 1862. 



COMPANY A, HYDE PARK- 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Commission. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Capt., Luman M. Grout . . 
1st Lieut., Moses McFarland 
2d Lieut., Gilmau S. Rand 



Elmore . 
Waterville 
Morrifiville 



Nov. 13, 1861. 
Nov. 13, 1861. 
Nov. 13, 1861. 



June 11, 1863. 
June*- 28, 1865. 
•July 22, 1862. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Sergeants. 














1st, Lemuel M. Hutchinson . 


Worcester . . . 


24 


Oct. 


1, 1861. 


June 


28, 1865. 


Chas.C. Martin 


Stowe 


21 


Oct. 


23, 1861. 


*July 


18, 1862. 


Chas. W. Bhike 


Eden 


22 


Oct. 


28, 1861. 


Nov. 


25, 1862. 


Harvev O'Kiser 


Plainfield . . . 


29 


Oct. 


3, 1861. 


Sept. 


14, 1863. 


Oscar W. Ooodridge .... 


Lowell .... 


22 


Oct. 


19, 1861. 


Nov. 


25, 1863. 


Corporals. 














Aaron K. Cooper 


Worcester , . . 


20 


Sept. 


26, 1861.. 


tOct. 


19, 1864. 


Henry Carpenter 


Belvidere . . . 


19 


Oct. 


23, 1861. 


June 


28, 1865. 


Jairus D. Clark 


Jiihiison .... 


23 


Sept. 


24,1861. 


Julv 


15, 1862. 


Harvey L. Smith 


:Morrislown . . 


19 


Sept. 


26, 1861. 


Nov. 


25, 1862. 


Cornelius D. Holbrook . . . 


HvdePark. . . 


23 


Sept. 


23, 1861. 


June 


28, 1865. 


Ezra H. Brown 


Waterville . . . 


23 


Oct. 


1, 1861. 


June 


28, 1865. 


Horace Woods 


Wolcott .... 


20 


Sept. 


26, 1861. 


June 


28, 1865. 


Joseph Faruum 


Johnson .... 


24 


Sept. 


23, 1861. 


June 


28, 1865. 



*Died of disease. f Killed in battle. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 



287 



CoMPAXV" A. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



MtTSICIASS 

Lewis Wliircomb . 
Walter W. Barnes 

Wagoxer 
Norman Smith . . 

Privates 
Ailes, Sylvaiius F . 
Albee, Stephen C . 
Beard, Chas. W . 
Beard, Curtis A . 
Benson, Jefferson T 
Benson, Lucius M 
Bickford, Dennis N 
Blake, Orwell . . 
Blood, Gihuan "W . 
Boynton, Chas. W 
Boynton. Noah . . 
Brown, Fitch C 
Brown, Kirk F . . 
Buckley, Chas H . 
Carpenter^ Jephaniah 
Carpenter, Josiali D 
Carpenter, Phineas 
Chamberlin, Joseph W 
Chayer. John B . 
Clark, Carlos S . . 
Clark, Jehial P . 
Clark, Rufus H . 
Clement, James H 
Cooper, Chas. S 
Cross, ^ladison . . 
Downey, Henry D 
Dunham, Oliver P 
Eaton, Ransom . . 
Farnam, Barachias 
Fullington, Chas. B 
Gale, JustuaF . . 
George, John . . 
Hall, John ... 
Hays, Oran Philande 
Hays. Oran Philetus 
Hill, Seth C . . . 
Hovey, Rodger . . 
Kent, Melvin P . 
Kimball, James 
Kimball, Joseph O 
Kinsley, William W 
Kusic, Richard 
Lambert, Peter 
Larue, ^Nloses 
Longa, Chas. H 
Marstoii, Ira L . 
McGookiii, Rodney 
Mead, Royal 
Merriam, John W 
Morse, John O . 
Mudgett, Geo. E 
Newton, Henry H 
Norton, William 
Page, Albert W 
Page, William B 
Remick, George 
Robinson, Ransom E 
Rollins, William . 



Hyde Park 
Hyde Park 



Wolcott 



Cambridge 
Elmore . 
Johnson . 
Waterville 
Worcester 
"Worcester 
Waterbury 
Eden . . 
Lowell 
Hyde Park 
Hyde Park 
Wolcott . 
Waterville 
Eden . . 
Waterville 
Waterville 
Belvidere 
Eden . . 
Cambridge 
Stowe . . 
Johnson . 
Elmore . 
Morris ville 
Elmore . 
Johnson . 
Belvidere 
Lowell . 
Morristown 
Craftsbury 
Morrisville 
Elmore . 
Worcester 
Stowe . . 
Waterville 
Waterville 
Eden . . 
Worcester 
Worcester 
Eden . . 
Morristown 
Fletcher . 
Morristown 
Waterville 
Troy . . 
Lowell . 
Stowe. . 
Belvidere 
Johnson . 
Elmore . 
Hyde Park 
Johnson . 
Lowell 
Morristown 
Waterville 
Montgomery 
Warren . 
Lowell . 
Morristown 



35 
'l\ 
18 
42 
18 
20 
18 
25 
19 
18 
41 
18 
19 
22 
18 
44 
44 
29 
27 
23 
18 
19 
19 
18 
18 
22 
21 
28 
44 
22 
24 
44 
43 
23 
26 
21 
22 
26 
44 
32 
22 
40 
22 
22 
21 
18 
36 
35 
24 
18 
18 
21 
35 
20 
24 
36 
22 
27 



Sept. 26, 1861. 
Sept. 23, 1861. 



Sept. 26, 1S6I. 



Oct. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Sept. 

Nov. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Sept. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

Sept. 

Nov. 

Nov. 

Sept. 

Nov. 

Sept. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Oct 

Sept. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Sept. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Sept. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

Nov. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Nov 



3, 1861. 
24, 1861. 

2, 1861. 
30, 1861. 

6, 1861. 

.5, 1861. 
30, 1861. 
16, 1861. 
28, ISGI. 
24, iMil. 
24, 1861. 
14, 1861. 

23, 1861. 
28, 1861. 

9, 1861. 
9, 1861. 

24, 1861. 
24, 1.S61. 
12, l.S(;i. 

6, IKGI. 
24, 18(;i. 

5, 1861. 

24, 1861. 
30, 1861. 

3, 1861. 

6, 1861. 

25, 1861. 

14, 1861. 

20, IMII. 
2, 1861. 

23, 1861. 
30, 1861. 
11, 1861. 

21, 1861. 
9, 1861. 

4, 1861. 
1, 1861. 

26, 1861. 
23, 1861. 

9, 1861. 
19, 1861. 

10, 1861. 

11, 1861. 
13, 1861. 

4, 1861. 

15, 1861. 

25, 1861. 
28, 1861. 

23, 1,S61. 
21, 1861. 

24, 1861. 
19, 1861. 
10, 1S6I. 

26, 1861. 
6, 1861. 

27, 1861. 
21, 1861. 

25, 1861. 



*May 20, 1864. 
March 22, 1864. 



June 28, 1865. 



tSept. 4, 1862. 
*May 4, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 11,1864. 
♦July 31, 1862. 
*Oct. 6, 1862. 
Nov. 25, 1862. 
June 28, 1865. 
March 19, 1864. 
June 22, 1864. 
June 11, 1864. 
May 5, 1865. 
♦■June 23, 1862. 
June 28, 1865. 
*Dec. 2, 1862. 
Feb. 28, 1863. 
*Jan. 11, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
March 12, 1862. 
Nov. 25, 1862. 
*Jan. 10, 1863. 
June 22, 1864. 
Sept. 20, 1863. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 12, 1865. 
*May 26, 1863. 
July 20, 1863. 
Nov. 25, 1862. 
*Sept. 19, 1863. 
May 4, 1863. 
July 17, 1865. 
Aug. 6, 1863. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
July 20, 1865. 
Aug. 18, 1862. 
tMay 27, 1863. 
Tr.V^t.R. corps. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
July 15, 1862. 
*Jan. 10, 186:?. 
July 15, 1862. 
Aug 1, 1S63. 
*Sept. 24, 1863. 
Juno 28, 1S65. 
June 28,1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
*Mar. 21, 1864. 
June 28, li?65. 
June 28, 1865. 
Feb. 21, 1865. 
♦July 20, 1862. 
March 22, 1862. 



*Died of disease. 



tKilled in battle. 



288 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 



Company A. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlisiment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Russell, Clias. F . 
Sanborn, Clias. B . 
Sargeant, Zolvey . 
Shattuck, Cbauucy 
Shattuck, Jarre . 
Silver, Alonzo . . 
Smith, Calvin W. H 
Smith, Wm. H . . 
Stratton, Hiram A 
Stovve, Albert A . 
Tillotson, >fatbiiiiiel 
Tillotson, Nathaniel, 2il 
Tobin, Alfred L. . 
Tobin, Michael B . 
Wells, Marshall \V 
Wesciim, Henry . 
Wesoum, Mitchell 
Wes(!onib, Charles 
Wescomb, Jdseph 
Westover, Wm. G 
Whittemure, Carshena K 
Whittemore, Lawson 
Willey, Martin U . . 
Wood, Chas. Gr . . 



Recruits. 

Albee, William A . . 

Beckley, Geo. I . . 

Balch, Almon . . . 

Beedle, Chas. C . . 
Bracket, Aurick S 

Bucklin, Mason C . . 

Bucklin, Milo . . . 
Buel, Lucas .... 
Bush, Napoleon B 
Cass, James .... 

Carty, Michael . . . 
Clay, Henry .... 

Chambers, Chas. H . 

Conant, John W . . 

Champaigne, Chas . 

Dumas, Morris . . . 

Elliot, Warner C . . 

Estes, Geo. R . . . 

Estes, Lucius . . . 

Farnham, Lucien C . 

Fisher, Alfred B . . 

Gage, Alonzo . . . 

Geer, Thomas L . . 

Gould, Kdwin . . . 

Hayes, Edgar . . . 

Heiidee, Benj. F . . 

Holden, Geo. H . . 

Hooker, Edward T . 

Hurley, Michael . . 

Kingsbury, Ezra . . 

Kidder, Aaron B . . 

King, Edward . . . 

Lathrop, Julius ISI . 

Lawrence, Seth . . 

Marshal, Hiram M . 
McHugh, Constantino 

Mitchell, Zeb . . . 

Mi.x, DeEstaing S . . 

Mix, Victor B . . . 



Stowe . . . 
Lowell . . 
Highgate . 
Waterville . 
Belvidero . 
ISIorrLstown 
Morristown 
Morrislowu 
Johnson . . 
Morristown 
Lowell . . 
Waterville . 
Waterville . 
AVaterville . 
Waterville . 
Montgomery 
Eden . . ". 
Eden . . . 
Eden . . . 
]Morrist()wn 
Eden . . . 
Eden . . . 
Waterville . 
Richford . . 

ToUl . . . 



26 
21 
18 
18 
19 
20 
28 
27 
18 
19 
27 
18 
23 
20 
27 
21 
18 
20 
28 
32 
42 
36 
22 
18 
26 
18 
26 

27 
40 
23 
25 
23 
36 
41 
45 
19 
18 



Oct. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Dec. 

Oct. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Nov. 

Nov. 

Sept. 

Oct. 



Aug. 

Dec. 

Feb. 

Feb. 

Feb. 

Feb. 

Feb. 

Jan. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

Nov. 

Aug. 

Dec. 

Aug. 

Dec. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Aug. 

Feb. 

Aug. 

Dec. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Feb. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 



1, 18G1. 
25, 1861. 
16, 1861. 
2-!, 1861. 
21, 1861. 

29, 1861. 
14, 1861. 

30, 1861. 
28, 1861. 

13, 1861. 
19, 1S6I. 

1, 1861. 
9, 1861. 

2, 1861. 
30, 1861. 
25, 1861. 

2, 1861. 
30, 1861. 
.30, 1861. 

14, 1861. 
6, ISfil. 
4, 1861. 

23, 1861. 
30, 1861. 



11, 1864. 
3, 1863. 
11, 1865. 

18, 1865. 

19, 1865. 
11, 1865. 

14, 1865. 
5, 1864. 

10, 1865. 

11, 1863. 

21 , 1864. 
1, 186;i. 

15, 1864. 

18, 1864. 

8, 1864. 
5, 1864. 

10, 1865. 

19, 1864. 
19, 186.?. 
13, 1864. 

3, 1863. 
1, 1X64. 

12, 1864. 
23, 1865. 

5, 1864. 

9, 186.'!. 

10, 1865. 

7, 186.-;. 

26, 1863. 

11, 1863. 
28, 1863. 

6, 1862. 
5, 1864. 

25, 1863. 

13, 1865. 

7, 1865. 
10, 1863. 

12, 1863. 

22, 1863. 



Nov. 25, 
JJune 13, 
tMay 27, 
June 28, 



25, 



July 15, 
tSept. 5, 
Feb. 21, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
July 7, 
March 29, 
iJune 1.3, 
June 28, 
Seiit 14, 
§Scpt. 20, 
July 1.5, 
June 28, 
June 2S, 
June 28, 
Nov. 
June 
tSept. 19, 
fluiie 28, 
Feb. 17, 



June 1, 

July 24, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

M ay 6, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

July 1, 

June 28, 

June 12, 
June 

June 28, 

Juno 28, 

June 2S, 

June 2s, 

llOct. 19, 

June 1, 

June 29, 

June 2s, 

♦Dec. 15, 

June 28, 

June 1, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 
*June 10. 

}Dec. 24; 

*Dec. 31, 

June 28, 

June 2s, 

June 28, 

May 6, 

June 28, 

June 28, 



1862. 
18&1. 
1863. 
1865. 
1862. 
1862. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1864. 
1865. 
1863. 
1861. 
1862. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1862. 
1864. 
1864. 
186.5. 
1863. 



1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
186.5. 
1865. 
186.5. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
186.5. 
1865. 
1865. 
1S64. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1861. 
1862. 
1864. 
1865. 
l.sr,5. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 



*Died of disease. tKilled in battle. JDeserted. §Died of wounds. U Killed at Cedar Creek. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 



?89 



Company A. — Continuud. 



Name. 



Morse, Orson . . . 
Pague, John .... 
Palmer, William H . 
Prinoe, Daniel . . . 
KaiKlall, Elisba N . 
Kussell. Lorenzo . . 
Sbepard, Aliston E . 
Smith, Weston . . . 
Snelling, Geo. AV . . 
Snelling, Asa E . . 
Stuart, Luther . . . 
Van Guilder, Frederic 
Waldron, Daniel G . 
Welch, Richard . . 
Welis, John H . . . 
Wensbualer, Vincent 
Whitcomb, Erwin T . 



Residence. 



Total . . 
Aggregate 



Age. 



44 
39 
20 
34 
1>4 

;u 

IS 
20 
28 
26 
oS 
24 
33 
10 
21 
34 
18 



56 
157 



Date of 

Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Jan. 5, 
Dec. 21, 
Dec. 28, 



Dec. 

Aug. 



Feb. i:'., 
Aug. 15. 



March 17, 


Nov. 


24, 


Dec. 


31. 


March 17, 


Feb. 


10, 


Deo. 


11, 


Dec. 


2S, 


Jan. 


5, 


Mav 


27, 


Dec. 


19, 



1864. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1S64. 
1.S65. 
I,s64. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1-865. 
1863. 
lS6:i. 
1864. 
1862. 
1863. 



*March 5, 
tApr. 23, 
June 28, 
May 6. 
June 28, 
June 28, 
May 13, 
tiMav 18, 
JAug. 8, 
tJiily 14, 
jMay 18, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
July 7, 
Jan. 2, 
June 



28, 



1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
! 865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1866. 
1865. 



COMPANY B, DERBY LINE. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Commission. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



r'ap^., Cbas. B. Child . . . 
Ist Lieut., Stephen F. Spahiing 
2d Lieut., Fred JD. Buttertield 



Derby 
Derby 
Derby 



Dec. 10, 1861. 
Dec. 19, 1861. 
Dec. 19, 1861. 



Oct. 21, 1863. 
II June 14,1863. 
July 22, 1864. 





Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Dafe of 
Discharge. 


Seroea>-ts. 












ist, John Bisbee 


Derby .... 


25 


Nor. 


22, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Wm. H. Spencer 


Derby .... 


32 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


March 9, 1865. 


Geo. Collier 


Derby .... 


25 


Nov. 


21, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


James A. ^Mathews .... 


Derby .... 


22 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


1l Pel). 17, 1863. 


Hiram Moon, J r 


Derby .... 


25 


Nov. 


22, 1801. 


Aug. 12, 1862. 


Corporals. 












Benjamin B. Liint .... 


Charleston . . . 


20 


Dec. 


2, isni. 


*Jn1y 23, 1862. 


Moses W. Farr 


Holland .... 


22 


Nov. 


22, 1861. 


Jan. 8, 1862. 


Henry H. Holt 


Derby .... 


20 


Nov. 


2.'>, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Hiram P. Harney 


Derby .... 


26 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


ITAiig. 1865. 


Asa B. Moraii 


Derby .... 


24 


Nov. 


2.5, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Chas. E. Musk 


Derby .... 


24 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


tMarch7, 1862. 


Nathaniel A. Piper .... 


Holland .... 


20 


Nov. 


28, 1861. 


»Aug. 9, 1863. 


Chas. P. Church 


Derby .... 


23 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 22. 1864. 


MusiriANS. 












Isaac Blake 


Derbv .... 


57 


Nov. 


26, isr,i. 


ITJuly 12, 1863. 


Oramel 11. Putnam .... 


Albany .... 


20 . 


Dec. 


2, IbOl 


J line 22, 1864. 


Wagoxeu. 












Jas. H. Hill 


Derby .... 


25 


Dec. 


14, -801. 


IMay 14, 1863. 


Privates. 












Aldrich, Elisha 


Derby .... 


43 


Nov. 


26, 1861. 


Sept. 29, 1863. 


Bacon, Klias 


Hatley, Ca . . . 


19 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


*Oct. 28, 1863. 


Bancroft, Horace D . . . . 


Calais 


21 


Dec. 


31, 1861. 


tJune 14, 1863. 


Baraby, Joseph 


Burlington . . . 


19 


Jan. 


6, 1802. 


§.Iune28, 1865. 


Barnard, F'rancis B .... 


Charleston . . . 


19 


Dec. 


3, 1861. 


*May 22,1863. 


Barnes, Carlos J 


Stanstead, Ca . . 


18 


Nov. 


22, 1861. 


tMay 18, 1S64. 


Barnes, Geo. W 


Baruston, Ca . . 


19 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 



*Died of dLsease. tKilled in battle. {Deserted. § Wounded in head at Port Hudson June 14, 
18C3. yKilled at Port Hudson. ITDiscbarged for promotion. IShot by Private John O'Mere. 

19 



290 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 
Company B. — Continued. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 

Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Barrett, Clias. S 


Derby .... 


20 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Batley, Robert 








Sherbrooke, Ca . 




25 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


Feb. 10, 1SG3. 


Baveneau, Lucius 








Derby .... 




28 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Belville, Edward . . 








Derby . 








18 


Jan. 


10, 1862. 


§Oct. 10, 1864. 


Belville, Joseph . 








Derby 








10 


Jan. 


1, 1S62. 


Tr. Inv. corps. 


Blake, Lewis . . 








Derby 








33 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Bodett. Peter . . . 








Salem 








18 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


*Aug. 7, 1862. 


Brooks, Orville R . 








Holland . 








22 


Nov. 


22, 1861. 


May 18, 186.5. 


Brown, Geo. W . . 








Derby 








25 


Jan. 


1, 1862. 


t June 14, 1863. 


Brown, Samuel B 








Holland . 








23 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


Not known. 


Carpenter, Kdward L 








Derby 








24 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Cass, Hollia H . . . 








Charleston 








28 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Clair, John . . . 








Derby . 








19 


Nov. 


29, 1861. 


JMay 18, 1864. 


Covey, Daniel J . . 
















20 


Feb. 


1, 1862. 


jMay 18, 1864. 


Cowing, Emerson D . 








]Morgan . 








35 


Dec. 


5, 1861. 


June 28, 1S65. 


Cunningham, Wm . 








Charleston 








18 


Nov. 


30, 1801. 


June 28, 1865. 


Dawson, John R . . 








Morgan . 








20 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


May 30, 1865. 


Doran, Edward . . 








Derby 








23 


Dec. 


14, ISGI. 


lApril 10, 1SG4. 


Farewell, Jason C . 








Newport . 








19 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


llJune 14, 1863. 


Ferrin, Chester M . . 








Holland . 








24 


Nov. 


28, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Foss, Henry M . . 








Derby 








20 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Foster, Lemuel R . . 








Salem 








20 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


Aug. 5, 1863. 


Fox, John . . V . 








Augusta, Main 


e . 




22 


Dec. 


21, 1861. 


Dec. 28, 1863. 


Golden, John . . . 








Coventry . . 






20 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


JMay 18, 1864. 


Gould, Ernest . . 








Barnstcin, Ca . 






18 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


Aug. 12,1862. 


Gould, Henry . • 








Barnston, Ca 






25 


Jan. 


14, 1862. 


Aug. 5, 1863. 


Graves, Henry . . 








New Orleans, ] 


.la 




27 


Jan. 


20, 1862. 


$Dec. 21, 1862. 


Hadlock. James . 








Derby . . 






44 


Nov. 


26, 1861. 


Aug. 12, 1862. 


Hagan, Francis 








Charleston . 






19 


Dec. 


5, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Haley, John . . . 








Derby . . 






26 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


JMarch 1, 1862. 


Halladay, Wilbert E 








Derby . . 






18 


Nov. 


23, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Harkness, Richard 








Sherbrooke, Ce 


I 




22 


Nov. 


26, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Henry, Wm. H . . 








Derby . . 






19 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Hill, Titus . . . 








Barnston, Ca 






20 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


*Aug. 17, 1862. 


Horn, Joseph . . 








Holland . . 






21 


Dec. 


16, 1861. 


*July 9, 1862. 


Horn, Samuel . 








Holland . . 






23 


Dec. 


16, 1861. 


II J line 20, 1863. 


Horn, William . . 










25 


Dec. 


16, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


House, Chas D . 










19 


Jan. 


6, 1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Howes, Jas. H . . 








Orford, Ca . . . 


26 


Jan. 


27, 1862. 


$May 18, 1864. 


Kenney, Alfred J . 








Barnston, Ca 






19 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


La Bonta, Alfred . 








Salem . . 






21 


Dec. 


3, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Lee. Wm. S . . . 








Holland . . 




. '' 38 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


JlJune 14, 1863. 


Livingston, Wheaton 


, J r 






Albany . . 




28 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Lunt, Aaron R . . 








Derby . . 




24 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 27, 1863. 


Lunt, Asa B . . . 








Derby . . 




20 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


IMar. 15, 1864. 


Lynn, Curtis W . 








Derby . . 




23 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


McCabe, Hiram . 








Stanstead, Ca 




18 


Jan. 


27, 1862. 


*Sept. 19, 1862. 


McGee, Thomas . 








Derby . . 






30 


Dec. 


2. 1861. 


tMay 1864. 


McKenzie, Andrew 








Wickham, Ca 






18 


Dec. 


18, 1861. 


2June 27, 1864. 


McKiver, Andrew 








Derby . . 






24 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


•June 22,1864. 


Mosher, Levi . . 








Holland . . 






24 


Dec. 


4, 18G1. 


No record. 


Moon, Elish D . . 








Holland . . 






35 


Nov. 


22, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Mooney, Edward D 








Derby . . 






34 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


Feb. 17, 1863. 


Moore, Jas. H . . 








Derby . . 






39 


Dec. 


30, 1861. 


March 9, 1863. 


O'Mere, John . . 








Derby . . 






27 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


?May 14, 1863. 


Page, Thomas W . 








Derby . . 






26 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Parlin, Abel A . . 








Qharleston . 






32 


Dec. 


4, 1861. 


*June 13, 1863. 


Parsons, Walter W 








Stanste.id, Ca 






26 


Dec. 


27, 1861. 


June 22,1864. 


Patrick, Franklin. 








Charleston . 






25 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Pettengill, Hollis F 








Troy . . . 






31 


Dec. 


7,1861. 


June 14, 1863. 


Porter, William . 








Derby . . . 






19 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Robinson, John B . 








Holland . . 






24 


Jan, 


8, 1862. 


JMay 18, 1864. 


Sheldon, Minor L . 








Derby . . 






27 


Nov. 


22, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Smith, James . . 








Holland . . 






44 


Dec. 


30, 1861. 


IFeb. 27, 1864. 


Smith, John C . . 








Newport . . 






18 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


June 2«, 1865. 


Stephens, Francis W 








21 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


tMarch 7, 1862. 


•Died of disease. tKilled in battle. jDeserted. §Died 


f wounds receiv 


■»d Sept. 19, 1864. 


llKilled at Port Huds 


on. 


HE 


>isc 


barged for p 


•on 


lot 


iOE 


. ITr 


ansfer 


red. 2Dro 


wned. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 
Company B. — Continued. 



291 



Name. 



Swords, Edward . 
Tinker. William A 
Tucker, John B . 
Turner, Abel D . 
Turner, Chas. W . 
Warren, Geo. J . 
Warren, Myron P 
Washburn, Harvey D 
Wells, Alfred . . 
Wheeler, Chas . . 
Woodward, Wm. B 



Recruits. 

Allyn, Paschal AV. . , 

Atherton, John . . , 

Aldrich, Chas. W . . , 

Allen, James . . . . 

Baker, Silas 

Bartlett, John H . . . 

Bates, Geo. C . . . , 

Berry, Richard . . . , 

Bigelow, Jas. S . . , 

Blanchard. (ien. F . , 

Bollyear, Kugene . . , 

Bombard, Alouzo H . , 

Bowen, John . . . . 

Briggs, Eli S . . . . 

Burt, Marshall J . . , 

Burton, John C . . . 

Cady, Henry . . . . 

Carpenter, Isaac . . . 

Carpenter, Jedediah . . 

Carr, John 

Clark, Stephen E . . . 

Clark, Thomas , . . , 

Cook, Chas. P , . . , 
Crossman, Lowell I\I 
Derby, Geo. W . . . 

Derby, Wm. R . . . . 

Drew, Lucius W , . , 

Duncan, Geo. H , . , 

Fadden, Wm. J . . . 
Fairbank.«, Freeman A 

Fesette, Frank . . . , 

Fleming, John . . . . 

Fleming, Thomas . . , 

Foster, Harvey . . . . 

French, Elisha . . . . 

Gladden, Willard S . . 

Gouchchoe, Francis E , 

Gray, Aaron H . . . , 
Gray, Orin .... 

Green, Tyler M . . , 

Griftin, Geo. E . . . , 
Guthrie, Samuel . . 
Hill, Stephen ... 
Judd, Chas. A . » . 
Kenyon, Henry R 
Kenyon, Orlin J . . 
Kenyon, Orson . . . 
Lambert, Michael 
Laraga, Peter . . . 
Liberty, Thomas . . 
Mack, Johu .... 



Residence. 



Age. 



Hatley, Ca . 

Whitingham 
Orford, Ca . 
Troy . . . 
Stanstead, Ca 
Charleston . 
Hatley, Ca . 
Derby . . 
Holland . . 
Holland . . 



Total 



18 
?A 
19 
21 
29 
18 
23 

;« 

24 
38 
25 
26 
16 
24 
21 
18 
22 
39 
18 
23 
23 
43 
19 
IS 
23 
18 
21 
21 
20 
21 
23 
21 
18 
18 
44 
27 
20 
26 
36 
44 
33 
20 
18 
31 
20 
21 
32 
25 
26 
27 
26 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 



2, 1861. 
21, 18G1. 
30, 1861. 
14, 1861. 

7, 1861. 
18, 1861. 
16, 1861. 

9, 1861. 

2, 1861. 
20, 1862. 
12, 1861. 



Nov. 11, 
Dec. 26, 
March 20, 
Jan. 24, 
Dec. 21, 
Feb. 10, 
March 1, 
Dec. 9, 
Jan. 2, 
Dec. 26, 
Feb. 10, 
March 18, 
Jan. 26, 



Dec. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 



March 21, 
Dec. 23, 
Feb. 28, 
Feb. 14, 
Dec. 23, 
Aug. 23, 
March2!, 
Feb. 21, 
Dec. 23, 
Jan. 5, 
March 7, 
Feb. 28, 



Feb. 
Feb. 



Dec. 29, 
Dec. 29, 
March 21, 
Dec. 9, 
Dec. 29, 
March 10, 
July 29, 
Sept. 8, 
Feb. 16, 
Feb. 16, 



Feb. 
Feb. 



Feb. 11, 
Dec. 7, 
March 8, 
Feb. 22, 
Feb. 22, 



1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1862. 
1863. 
1864. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1862. 
1862. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



June 28, 
Aug. IT, 
No date. 
June 22, 
*July 25, 
JMay 17, 
4Nov. 11, 
June 28, 
June 22, 
June 22, 
Oct. 19, 



*Dec. 24, 
May 24, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
II Feb. 21, 
May 18, 
Sept. 19, 
*May 23, 
10ct. 19, 
tOct. 19, 
June 28, 
*May 24, 
July 7. 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 14, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 1, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
tOct. 19, 
*Mar. 30, 
July 15, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 12, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
*tTune 6, 
June 28, 
June 11, 
June 24, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
May 12, 
May 15, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 



1865. 
1863. 

1864. 
1862. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1864. 
1864. 
1862. 



1864. 

1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1864. 
1864. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
186.% 
186") 



*Died of disease. tKilled in battle. tSent to Clinton Prison. 
Oct. 19, 1864. HTransferred. 



§Dieil of wounds received 



292 



THE EIGHTH VERMOXT. 



Company B. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Bate of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 

Discliarge. 



Martin, Nelson . 
McAulitfe, John 
Miner, Josepli . 
Murphy, David 
Murphy, I'atrick 
Paul, Jason B . 
Pallady, Jolin . 
Pettaint, Loui.s . 
Pingrey, Henry C 
Place, Emerson 11 
Place, Rufus A . 
Porter, Henry . 
Rabitaw, Venice 
Keed, Winslow T 
Rice, Daniel M . 
Sears, John . . 
Startord, Isaac B 
Staples, Frank C 
Streeter, Joseph J 
Thompson, Payson T 
Tilley, David O . 
West, Ezekiel . , 
Wheelock, Fraidv . 
Willard, Lucius H 
Wrinkle, Thomas . 
Young, Edward , 



Total . . . 
Aggregate . 



18 
22 
19 
20 
21 
21 
18 
27 
25 
19 
27 
21 
18 
23 
19 
20 
37 
18 
27 
21 
22 
19 
19 
19 
41 
35 



77 
180 



Feb. IS, 
March 1, 
May 11, 
Dec. 30, 
Dec. 7, 
April 11, 
Feb. 13, 
March 7, 
March 18, 
Feb. 11, 



Feb. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 



March 7, 
Jan. 1, 
March S, 
Dec. 19, 



Feb. 

Feb. 17, 

Feb. 8, 

Feb. 10, 

Feb. 16, 

Dec. 29, 

Dec. 15, 



1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
186.3. 
1863. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1 65. 
1865. 
1863. 
1S63. 



June 

June 

tUec. 

June 

June 

June 

J une 

June 

J une 

Ju7ie 

J une 

June 

July 

June 

June 

June 

*Mar. 

June 

Aug. 

June 

June 

May 

June 

June 

June 

June 



, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 18G5. 



COMPANY C, ST. JOHNSBURY. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Commission. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


('apt., Henry E. Foster . . 
\st Lieut., Kihvanl B. Wright 
2d Lieut., Frederick J. Fuller 


Waitsfield . . . 
Bradford . . . 
Troy ..... 


20 
30 


Dec. 23, 1861. jAug. 15, 1863. 
Dec. 23, 1h61. tJune 6, 1862. 
Dec. 23, 1861. §June 2, 1863. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Serge.\nts. 
1st., Albert E. Page . 
Benjamin Waldron . 
Henry C. Abbott . . 
Sumner VV. Lewis 
Augustine P. Hawley 

Corporals. 

J^ohn Gilman . . . 

John A. Riplev . . . 

Eben C. Goodell . . 

Lewis K Titus . . . 

Oranee S. Lynn . . 

William K. Crosby . 

Elijah K. Prouty . . 

David N. Brill . . . 



MusiciAKS. 
Amos Belknap . . . 
JParker J. Noyes . . 



Newbury . 
Newbury 
Montpelier . 
AVest Concord 
Passumpsic 



St. Johnsbury 
St. Johnsbury 
Barnett . . . 
Jay . . . . 
St. Johnsbury 
Waterford . . 
Newbury . . 
Troy . . . . 



St. Johnsbury 
Newbury . . 



Dec. 

Nov. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Nov. 



Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec 



4, 1861. 

26, 1861. 
19, 1861. 

4, 1861. 

27, 1861. 



30, 1861. 
.30, ISO]. 
28, 1^61. 
28, 1x61. 

2, 1861. 

2, 1861. 
13, 1861. 

4, 1861. 



Dec. 4, 1861. 
Dec. 4, le61. 



Aug. 11,1863. 
*.Mar. 29, I86ri. 
Sept. 1,1862. 
Sept. 16, 1863. 
Sept. 27, 1863. 



June 22, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
July 16, 1862. 
Feb. 28, 1863. 
* J une 18, 1863. 
Aug. 1862. 

Oct. 1, 1862. 
*Aug. 28, 1863. 



June 28, 1865. 
Oct. 17, 1863. 



*Died of disease. tDeserted. {Resigned. §Dismis9 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 
CoMPAKY C. — Continued. 



293 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Waohnkk. 












■William D, Atwooii .... 


Newbury . . . 


41 


Dec. 


W, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Privates. 












Adams, John ...... 


Danville . . . 


IS 


Dec. 


21.1861. 


*July 1, 1864. 


A.lams, Newell H, H 








Newport . . . 


20 


Dec. 


8 


1861. 


t 


Aiinis, Nathaniel E . 








Passumpsic . . 


19 


Dec. 


9 


1861. 


July 16, 1862. 


Hailev, Geo. K . . . 








Troy 


18 


Dec. 


10 


1861. 


Feb. 28, 1803. 


Bailey, Geo. W , . 








Troy 


24 


Dec. 


14 


1861. 


tJnly 22, 1862. 


Bailey, Joseph S . . 








Troy 


2I» 


Dec. 


4 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Barber, DensUiw . . 








Richmond . . . 


20 


Nov. 


20 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Bean, Joseph O . . 








WaterforJ . . . 


30 


Deo. 


14 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Bedani, Ezra . . . 








Danville .... 


20 


Dec. 


14 


1861. 


J May 1863. 


Bonnet t, Jas. K . . 








Waterford . . . 


IS 


Dec. 


16 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Boodrv, Clias . . . 








Richmond . . . 


IS 


Nov. 


26 


1861. 


§May 18, 1864. 


Booilry.Chas. D . . 








Richmond . . . 


39 


Nov. 


22 


1861. 


II Oct. 1, 1864. 


Boodry. Edward . . 








Richmond . . . 


20 


Dee. 


1 


1861. 


§May 18,1864. 


Chamberlin, Lawrence 


C 






Passumpsic . . 


21 


Nov. 


28 


1861. 


Aug. 1862. 


Clapper, Geo. . . . 








Troy 


24 


Dec. 


4 


1861. 


ITSept. 4, 1862. 


Clark, Lewis A . . . 








St. Johnsbury 


IS 


Jan. 


12 


1862. 


jNov. 1, 186.}. 


Clough, Joel .... 








Jay 


20 


Nov. 


28 


1861. 


JJuly 23, 1>62. 


Clough, Judson . . 








Williamstown 


24 


Nov. 


19 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Colcott, .Joseph . . . 








Troy 


20 


Dec. 


7 


1861. 


IJune 22, 1804. 


Crane, Henry A . . 








Danville .... 


22 


Nov. 


16 


1861. 


June 22, 1H04. 


Cushman, Francis G . 








St. Johnsbury 


18 


Dec. 


5 


1861. 


June 28, 1.S05. 


Danforth, Geo. L. . 








Newbury . . . 


18 


Dec. 


16 


1861. 


June 2s, ls65. 


Dean, Asahel M. F . 








St. Johnsbury 


22 


Dec 


4 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Dett, Moses .... 








Troy . . 


24 


Nov. 


28 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Dunton, Chas. E . . 








St. Johnsbury 


2.5 


Dec. 


4 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Eaton, Charles . . . 








Richmond . . . 


IS 


Nov. 


20 


1801. 


June 28, 1865. 


Elkins, Riley A . . 








Trov 


23 


Dec. 


18 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Evans. Walter D . . 








Weils River . . 


18 


Nov. 


22 


1861. 


tJune 25, 1863. 


Goodell,Geo. C . . 








Barnct .... 


26 


Nov. 


28 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


George, David N . . 








Troy 


28 


Dec. 


2 


1861. 


2.May 27, 1863. 


Hadlock,Geo. W . . 








Jay 


18 


Dec. 


10 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Harren, Joel E . . . 








St. Johnsbury 


24 


Dec. 


11 


1861. 


July 16, 1862. 


Hammond, Orange E 








Troy 


18 


]'ec. 


2 


1861. 


July 16, 1862. 


Hannant, Geo . . . 








St. Johnsbury . 


22 


Dec. 


14 


1861. 


July 16, 1S62. 


Hardy, Chas. E . . 








Troy 


IS 


Dec. 


4 


1861. 


June 22, 1861. 


Haselton, Geo. H . . 










18 


March ^ 


1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Haskins, Leonard . . 








Richmond . . . 


21 


Nov. 


21 


1861. 


+ July 21, 1862. 


Hayward, Oscar F 








St. Johnsbury 


19 


Dec. 


5 


ISlil. 


{Nov. 11, 1862. 


Herrinian.Turrill E . 








St. Johnsbury . 


18 


Dec. 


31 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Hill, William . . . 








Troy 


21 


Dec. 


18 


1861. 


JAug. 17, 1862. 


Houghton, Silas . . 








Danville .... 


IS 


Dec. 


2 


1861. 


July 10, 1862. 


Hubbard, James . . 








Burke .... 


34 


Jan. 


1 


1802. 


June 22, 1864. 


Hyn, Walter J . . . 










44 


Dec. 


6 


1861. 


§.Miir. 11, 1862. 


Jay, Nathan P . . . 








St. Johnsbury 


23 


Dec. 


6 


1861. 


3Nov. 1864. 


Jones, Wm. H . . . 








Wheelock . . . 


25 


Dec. 


4 


1801 


June 22, 1864. 


Keith, Andrew J . . 








Troy 


31 


Nov. 


29 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Kelley, Loren F . . 








Newbury . . . 


36 


Nov. 


27 


1861. 


2June 14, 1863. 


Kennedy, Horace W 








Troy 


19 


Jan. 


28 


1802. 


*Feb. 28, 1S63. 


Kiser, Hiram S . . 








Albany .... 


34 


Dec. 


24 


1861. 


JDate not rec. 


Knapp, Geo. L . . . 








St. Johnsbury . 


19 


Dec. 


31 


1801. 


June 22, 1864. 


Lamarsh. Frank . . 








Troy 


20 


Nov. 


28 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Leavitt, Nehemiah . 








Warren .... 


21 


Nov. 


21 


1861. 


Sept. 4, 1803. 


Marchand, Felix . . 








Lyndou .... 


26 


Jan. 


1 


1862. 


2-lune 17, 1803. 


McFarland, Wm. H . 










20 


Feb. 


14 


1862. 


4June 22, 1864. 


McGaffy, Alonzo . . 








St. Johnsbury . 


35 


Jan. 


28 


1862. 


tJune 3, 1862. 


McNab, Carlos . . . 








:\IcIndoe's Falls . 


18 


Dec. 


26 


1861. 


June 28, 186.5. 


Miller, John . . . 








Troy 


19 


Nov. 


29 


11-01. 


June 28, 1865. 


Montret, Adolphe . . 








Richmond . . . 


18 


Dec. 


6 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Morse, Robt. C . . . 








Barnet .... 


18 


Dec. 


14 


1-61. 


June 28, 1805. 


Newman, Chas. A 








Bariiet .... 


IS 


Dee. 


14 


\HA. 


5Mar. 24, 18<;4. 


Noyes, .lames . . . 








Newburv . . . 


26 


Dec. 


1 


ivoi. 


5Dpc. 31, 1802. 


Noyes, John W . . 








Columbia, N. H . 


23 


Dec. 


26 


IsOl. 


IJune 28, 1863. 



♦Promoted ; date of discharge ■ not given. tMustered out at Bratfleboro, Vt. tDie<l of 
disease. §Deserted. ilSick in General Hospital. HKilled in battle. ISick in New Orleans. 
2Killed at Port Hudson. 3Died at Salisbury, N, C. 4Sick in Canada. 5Transferred. 



294 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 
Company C. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 

Enlistment. 



Pate of 
Discliarge. 



Pago, Henry K 
Potwin, Niii)oleon 
Perigo, Harvey G . 
Petteo, Jacob I. . 
Pettee, William T 
Pinard, Jovite . . 
Prisby, Mollis W . 
Putnam, Cornelius II 
Ileail, (leorge K . 
Root, Cyrus S . . 
Rosebush, Martin . 
Scott, Nathan W . 
Severance, Henry V 
Skinner, Levi W . 
Smith, Henry L . 
Spencer, Loren H . 
Swinger, Lawrence 
Upton, John T . . 
Walilron, John M 
Whipple, Hiram L 
Wil.'ox, Martin H 
Williiims, Ransom W 
Wiuslow, Loren P 



Recruits 
Allen, Wymau H . 
15ass, James . . . 
P.encdict, Tabor . 
Bonett, Dallas R . 
]5onolt, Sewall H . 
Bruce, Geo. E . . 
Bullson, Geo. II . 
Burns, I)avid . . 
Brown, Josiah . . 
Carrick, John . . 
('liamberlin, Benjani 
Ch.ast.my, .losepli . 
Cobban, Simon C. F 
Collins, ('li.'irles . 
Craig, 'riiomas . . 
Dalton. Flavins J 
Dow, Henry A . . 
Dow, Parker S . . 
Derby, Menry N . 
Eaton, Henry . . 
Emmons, Geo . . 
ICrely, Tlionias H . 
Evans, Edward 
Farnliani, Horace S 
Foster, Wni. J . . 
Gammell, John A. V 
Goodell, John V . 
Green, Chas. J 
Georee, Joseph 
Harrington, Calvin I 
Haylbnl, Salmon .S 
Hemenway, Francis 
Hentlioii, ThoniMs 
Heyer, ("harles A . 
Judd, William . . 
Latlirop, Cyrus W 
I.eith, William . 
I.ongevine, Isanc . 
Maraton, Geo. D . 



Troy . , 

Swanton. 

St. Johnsbury 

Troy ... 

Jay ... 

St. Johnsbury 

Littleton, K. H 

Huntington 

Montpelier . 

Shemeld . . 

St .Johnsbury 

Newport 

St. Johnsbury 

Troy . . . 

Newport 

Huntington 

Newbury 
Concord . . 
St. Johnsbury 
Troy . . . 
Waierford . 



Total 



24 
18 
21 
37 
30 
20 
18 
23 
29 
19 
18 
21 
21 
19 
23 
19 
26 
22 
18 
19 
22 
30 
32 



24 
18 
18 
18 
22 
IS 
22 
20 
18 
45 
39 
33 
23 
31 

28 
21 
19 
18 
18 
23 
21 
18 
34 
22 
21 
21 
i8 
18 
18 
25 
18 
39 
18 
42 
24 
21 
39 
24 



Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 



16, ISGl. 
20, lH(il. 

f>, 18G1. 

4, isiil. 

4, isoi. 

9, 1S61. 
27, ISf)!. 

9, 1«G1. 
19, ISGI. 

27, \m-i. 
10, ISGI. 

6, 18G1. 

9, ISGl. 
26, 1«G1. 
IS, ISGl. 
13, ISGl. 

1, 18G2. 

C, ISGl. 

3, ISGl. 
9, ISGI. 

28, 1H!2. 

4, ISGl. 
23, 18G1. 



Feb. 7, 
Dec. 26, 
Aug. 23, 
Sept. 2, 
Jan. 18, 
Aug. 18, 
July 22, 
Dec. 29, 
Julv 2, 
Sept. 12, 
Dec. 31, 
Sept. 10, 
Jan. 1, 
Sept. 3, 
Jan. 5, 
March 17, 
Dec. 26, 
Aug. 6, 
Dec. 8, 
Oct. 21, 
March 1 , 
12, 
21, 



Jan. 
Dec 
Dec 
Dec. 19, 
Aug. 31, 
Aug. 31, 
Dec. 23, 
Nov. 30, 
Dec. 18, 
March 24, 
Dec. 8, 
Jan. 6, 
Feb. l.'i, 
March 6, 
Dec. 19, 
Dec. 2s, 
IMarch 13, 
l>ec. 19, 



186.5. 
1S63. 
18G4. 
1S64. 
1SG4. 
1SG4. 
ISGl. 
IstU. 
1SG2. 
18G4. 
1SG3. 
18G4. 

lst;4. 

1SG2. 
18C.4. 
18G5. 
1SG3. 
1SG4. 
1864. 
1863. 

lst;5. 

1SG.5. 
1SG3. 
1SG3. 
1863. 
1SG4. 
1SG4. 
1SG3. 
18G2. 
1S63. 
1SG5. 
1SG3. 
lS6.->. 
1SG5. 
1S(>5. 
1SG3. 
1SG3. 
1.SG5. 
1863. 



June 22, 
J une 28, 
June 22, 
»July C. 
tJune 14, 
June 2s, 
*Aug. 23, 
June 28, 
July 16, 
tNov. 14, 
♦July 5, 
§May 18, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 22, 
June 2S, 
II Nov. 26, 
July 16, 
June 2S, 
tFeb. 28, 
J une 28, 
June 22, 
July 16, 



1S64. 
1S6.5. 
1864. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1862. 
1864. 
1863. 
1S64. 
1865. 
1S65, 
1864. 
1865. 
1864. 
1862. 
1865. 
1863. 
1S65. 
1864. 
1862. 



June 2S, 
.) une 2s, 
June 1, 
June 1, 
June 28, 
June 1, 
§.) line 2S, 
§.Mar. IS, 
i\lay 28, 
June 1, 
*Aug. 12, 
June 1, 
June 28, 
II Feb. 11, 
IJune 28, 
Jun? 28, 
June 28, 
June 1, 
*.Mar. 31, 
June 28, 
June 2S, 
June 2s, 
June 2S, 
*.Sept. 16, 
June 2S, 
June 1, 
2Nov. IS, 
II July 24, 
•July 16, 
June 2S, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 2S, 
June 28, 
June 2S, 
20ct. 19, 
Julv 1, 



June 28 



1865. 
1S65. 
1865. 
1S65. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1SG5. 
1865. 
1 8i)5. 
Isii5. 
18G5. 
1864. 
1865. 
lSb5. 
18b5. 
1SG5. 
1S64. 
1865. 
1 865. 
1S64. 
1864. 
1864. 
1865. 
186.5. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1 S65. 
1865. 
1864. 
1S6.5. 
1865. 



•Died of disease. tKilled at Port Hudson. jDied of wounds received In action. §I)e9erted. 
llTransferred. UPromoted. IColored cook mustered out. 2Died of wounds received at Ced;ir 
Creek, Oct. 19. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 
Company C. — Continued. 



295 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Disuliarge. 



Martin, Carlos . 
McColley, James 
McLeon, \Vni. H 
Meader, Clias. H 
Mizer, Francis . 
Monaghoii, Patrick 
Norton, John W 
Page, Oscar . . 
Page, Albert E . 
Potwin, Aliram 
Prins, Lewis . . 
Rich, James D . 
Scribner, Beii.i F 
Shampany, John 
Shampeau, Peter 
Simons, Orin 
Smith, Geo. W . 
Smith, Jcilin . . 
Smith, Willard G 
Stamps, Geo. W 
Stebbins, Chas. H 
Sternlin, John . 
Stevens, Hiram 
Sturgeon, Robert 
Talbot, David . 
Thomiison, Amasa 
Trainor, Peter 
Webster, Daniel G 
Wells, Horace A 
White, Chas. A 
White, John . . 
Wiswell, John C 
Woods, Lemuel N 
Woodward, Sylvester 



Total . . 
Aggregate 



19 

27 
20 
29 
19 
29 
24 
18 
32 
19 
19 
29 
41 
19 
23 
22 
27 
22 
26 
36 
18 
22 
41 
18 
34 
1!) 
22 
24 
1') 
21 
22 
^8 
42 
43 



Dec. 30, 
March 3, 
Feb, 15, 
Dec. 28, 
Dec. 26, 
March 22, 
Nov. 11, 
Jan. 4, 
Dec. 8, 
May 19, 
March 25, 
Dec. 24, 



Sept. 
Dec. 
Feb. 
Dec. 
Dec. 



Dec. 27, 
Dec. 29, 



Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Feb. 



Dec. 29, 
Jan. 13, 



Feb 

Feb. 18, 

Aug. 15, 

Jan. 4, 

Aug. 30, 

July 22, 
March 30, 

Dec. 10, 

Nov. 27, 



1863. 
1 865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
186;!. 
1864. 
1863. 
1864. 
1864. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865, 
1863. 
1863. 
1864. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 
1S63. 
1S65. 
1S65. 
1865. 
1864. 
1864. 
1S64. 
1864. 
lsr,5. 
1863. 
1803. 



June 28 
♦April 15 
June 2s 
Jan. 
June 28 
June 28 
June 28 
June 28 
*May 20 
tNov. 4 
July 15, 
Nov. 
June 
June 
June 
June 28, 
June 28 
June 28 
June 28 
J.lune 28 
June 28 
June 
June 28 
.June 28 
June 28^ 
June 28 
June 28 
June 
§July 22 
June 1 
1Sept, 3 
June 28, 
June 28 
May 18 



, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1864. 
, 1864. 
i, 1865. 
i, 1864. 
, 1865. 
;, 1865. 
I, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 186.5. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1,S64. 
, 1805. 
, 1865. 
, 1865, 



73 
177 



COMPANY D, BRADFORD. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Commission. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Capt., Cyrus B. Leach . . . 
Ut Lieut., AltVe<l E. Getchell 
2d Lieut., Darius G. Child . 


Bradford . . . 
Bradford . . . 
Fairlee .... 


31 

37 
26 


Dec. 28, 1861. 
Dec. 28, 1861. 
Dec. 28, 1861. 


June 22,1864. 
Feb. 26, 1865. 
llJuly 20, 1862. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 

Enlistment. 


Date of 

Discharge. 


Sergeants. 












\xt, Dennis Buckley . . . 


Bradford . . . 


26 


Nov. 


2, 1861. 


UDec. 7, 1863, 


Phineas S. Palmer .... 


'J'hettord . . . 


27 


Dec. 


17, 1861. 


July 29,1863. 


Nathaniel Robie 


liradford . . . 


26 


Nov. 


22, ls6t. 


IDec. 6, 1H64. 


Jacob B. Sawyer 


Topsham , . . 


34 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


Mav 4, 1863. 


Edward F. Gould 




20 


Jan. 


3, 1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Corporals. 












Albert D. Heath 


Topshani . . . 


22 


Dec. 


2, isni. 


Feb. 10, 1862. 


Andrew J. Yuung .... 


Topsham . , . 


27 


Dec. 


4, 1861. 


t-Vlar. 1,1862. 



*nied of disease. tDeserted. JColored cook mustered out. §Transferred. ||Died at 
Algiers, La. llCashierett. IDied at St. Johnsbury, Vt. 



296 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 
Company D. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Jr 



William S. Teabody 
Edwin R. Corliss . 
Wm. H. H. Gilraore 
Wm. F. Peters . . 
Chas. W. Woodbury 
Edwin P. Garbuid 

Musician, 
Ira I. Ingram 

Wagoner. 
Freeman F. Fleming 

Privates 
Andross, Noble 
Austin, Geo. H . . 
Avery, Geo. W . . 
Avery, Sylvester H 
Bacon, Hiram, Jr . 
Baldwin, Absalom 
Barber, Alpheus P 
Barber, Clias. .S 
Barstow, Edgar 
Barstow, Russell A 
Bliss, Wm. C . 
Brown, Geo. L . 
Brown, Mills O . 
Bugbee, Edmond 
Buttertield, Henry 
Child, Lewis . . 
Clark, John F . 
Colby, Russell D 
CorliVs, Wm. H 
Daniels, Oscar B 
Dickey, Thomas W 
Dow, Francis R 
Dow, Geo. H 
Eastman, Harmon W 
Emerson, Horace P 
Emery, Asa S 
Emery, Chas. G 
Foot, Dennis W 
Foster, Ezeliiel 
Gelo, Moses . 
Hanimond. Gilman S 
Haskins, Wm. H . 
Haynes. Edward W 
Hayward, Putnam 
Jenkins, jNIason B 
Jenkins, Thomas J 
Johnson, Eben E 
Kenison,, Asa S 
Kennedy, Geo. E 
Lafkin, Jonathan C 
Lahas, Norbit 
Lake, Edwin 
Lamb, Chas. S . 
Landry, Dal phi 
Liscom, John E 
Mann, Stephen H 
Martin, Chester 
Meder, Horace E 
Merchant, Frank 
Mills, Jacob, Jr 
Morrison, Geo. W 
Morrison, Hiram 



Topsham 
East Corinth 
Fairlee . . 
Bradford 
Bradford 
Topsham . 



Topsham 
Bradford 



Bradford 
Bradford 

Topsham 
Strafford . 
Bradford 
West Fairlee 
West Fairlee 
Vershire . . 
Yershire. . 
Bradford 
Newbury . 
West Fairlee 
Washington 
Topsham 

Strafford 

West Fairlee 

East Corinth 

Peacham 

Topsham 

Stafford 

Bradford 

Topsham 

East Corinth 

Groton . 

Groton . 

Thetford 

Toi)sham 

Bradford 

Fairlee . 

Bradford 

Brattleboro 

Topsham 

Fairlee . 

Fairlee . 

Topsham 

Fairlee . 

Bradford 

Bradford 

Bradford 

Bradford 

Ryegate . 

Bradford 

Corinth . 

Fairlee . 

Bradford 

Newbury 

Brailford 

Topsham 

Newbury 

Newbury 



18 



45 
18 
20 
29 
34 
18 
22 
21 
23 
21 
30 
40 
25 
19 
18 
23 
19 
18 
20 
25 
26 
18 
19 
23 
18 
21 
18 
19 
35 
24 
21 
39 
18 
21 
26 
35 
21 
37 
25 
44 
20 
32 
18 
28 
20 
25 
18 
18 
41 
19 
20 
18 



Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 



Dec. 



Dec. 



Nov. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Jan. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dee. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Nov, 

Jan. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 



4, 1861. 


16, 1861. 


7, 1861. 


24, 1861. 


4, 1861. 


2, 1861. 


2, 1861. 


4, 1861. 


20, 1861. 


7,1861. 


13, 1861. 


11,1861. 


17, 1861. 


25, 1861. 


6, 1>*61. 


2, 1861. 


13, 1861. 


30, 1861. 


22, 1861. 


9, 1862. 


27, 1861. 


13, 1861. 


2, 1861. 


7, 1861. 


17, 1861. 


17, 1861. 


6, 1861. 


7, 1862. 


13, 1861. 


23, 1861. 


1, 1862. 


4,1861. 


9, 1861. 


7, 1861 


9, 1862. 


19, 1861. 


7, 1862. 


21, 1861. 


17, 1861. 


21, 1861. 


6, 1862. 


24, 1861. 


26, 1861. 


16, 1861. 


4, 1861. 


7, 1861. 


17, 1861. 


7, 1861. 


6, 1861. 


16, 1861. 


17, 1861. 


7, 1861. 


6, 1861. 


2, 1861. 


27, 1861. 


9, 1862. 


22, 1861. 


14, 1861. 


10, 1861. 


12, 1861. 



July 7, 1863. 

Sept. 10, 1863. 
tMar. 22, 1863. 
tMar. 4, 1864. 



June 28, 1865. 



June 28, 1865. 



26 



30 



JJune 22 
June 28 
tJune 28 
tJune 3 
June 28 
June 28 
June 22 
tFeb. 
J'une 
July 
§ April 25 
July 5- 
June 22 
II Aug. 1 
UMay 
June 
June 
Oct. 
July 
June 
Oct. 
Oct. 17 
May 22 
t April 10 
June 28 
June 22 
June 28 
tNov. 27 
tDec. 20 
June 28 
Sept. 4 
June 
June 28 
June 
Oct. 
Sept. 
tDec. 
June 28 
June 22 
March 28 
II May 18; 
June 28 
t. April 21 
Deserted 
tNov. 24 
June 28 
June 28 
tMar. 25 
June 28 
1 June 2s 
June 22 
2June 28 



1864. 
1865. 
1862. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1864. 
1862. 
1863. 
1865. 
1864. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1862. 
1862. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1862. 
1862. 
1865. 
1862. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1864. 
1863. 
1864, 
1865. 
1862. 

1862. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 



♦Discharged for promotion. tDied of disease. J Absent sick. §Transferred. || Deserted. 
TlKilled Port Hudson. lAbsent wounded. 20n detached service. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 
Company D. — Continued. 



297 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Ober, Efiwin F . . 
O'Malley, Owen F 
Peabody, Jesse W 
Peabody, Luther . 
Peters, Chas. E . . 
Pierce, Horace A . 
Putnam, Epliraim 
Renfrew, George . 
Richardson, Henry C 
Ring, Henry E . 
Robbins, Lorenzo 
Robinson, Jonathan H 
Rowe, Jesse L . . 
Rowe, Rufus H . . 
Scott, David . . . 
Scott, Samuel W . 
Shumway, Monroe 
Smyth, Robert . . 
Stevens, Elbridge E 
Taplin, Horace E . 
Thompson, Asa 
Thompson, Henry J 
Tuttle, Elias J . " . 
Tuttle, Geo. L . . 
Webster, Josiah R 
Wheeler, Edmond L 
Whitney, Geo. H . 
Wild, Azariah T . 
Willey, Horace L . 
Wyman, Calvin 



Recruits 
Allen, John . . . 
Almane, Peter . . 
Baptist, Jean . . 
Bean, Geo. N. M . 
Bean, Richard C . 
Brue, Joseph . . 
Bugbee, Chas. P . 
Bullock, Prentice . 
Burke, Michael 
Burliugame, Stephen 
Buswell, Albert . 
Carpenter, Edniond 
Carpenter, Wm. E 
Casey, .lames . . 
Chilli, Willard H 
Clancey, Michael 
Clarey, Patricli 
Clement, Freeman K 
Connolly, Michael 
Cornell, Thomas 
Curran, Patrick 
Davis, David H 
Davis, Milton H 
Davis, Merritt A 
Day, John H 
Derby, Alfred B 
Dew, Francis . 
Emerson, Chas. H 
Faulkner, Wm . 
Fay, James T . 
Fisher, Samuel J 
Forbes, Francis 
Forbes, Robert . 



Topsham 

Newbury 

Topsham 

Topsham 

Bradford 

Bradford 

Bradford 

Topsham 

Topsham 

Corinth . 

Thetford 

Bradford 

Brad ford 

Corinth . 

Newgate 

Newgate 

Bradford 

Corinth . 
Corinth . 
Washington 
Sharon . 
Newbury 
Newbury 
Bradford 
Brattleboro 
West Fairlee 
West Fairlee 
Topsham 
Newbury . 

Total . . . 



21 
27 
20 
10 
26 
IS 
43 
19 
23 
21 
21 
44 
38 
21 
20 
21 
32 
22 
18 



Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Jan. 
Jan. 



13, 1861. 

26, 1861. 

4, 1861. 

6, 18C1. 

29, 1862. 
17, 1862. 
13, 1862. 

2, 1S61. 

2, 1861. 
31, 1862. 
26, 1861. 
26, 1861. 
21, 1861. 
24, 1862. 

12, 1861. 

13, 1861. 

7, 1861. 

30, 1862. 

14, 1861. 
11, 18C1. 
13, U61. 
17, 1861. 
26, 1861. 

26, 1861. 

24, 1861. 
28, 1862. 
30, 1861. 

27, 1861. 

25, 1862. 

28, 1862. 



Nov. 7, 1863. 



Feb. 


4, 


1865. 


July 


2, 


1862. 


May 


20, 


1862. 


May 


16, 


1864. 


May 


111 


1864. 


]\Iay 


5, 


1864. 


Feb. 


28, 


1862 


Dec. 


17, 


1863. 


Dec. 


15, 


1863 


Dec. 


19, 


1863. 


Jan. 


4, 


1864. 


Dec. 


25, 


1863 


Jan. 


4, 


1864. 


Dec. 


28, 


1863. 


Aug. 


20, 


1864. 


Feb. 


4, 


1865 


Dec. 


20, 


1863 


Aug. 


23, 


1864. 


Jan. 


fi, 


1865 


Dec. 


30, 


1864. 


Oct. 


12 


1862 


Jan. 


2 


1864 


Jan. 


4, 


1864. 


Jan, 


26 


1865 


Dec. 


10, 


1863 


Aug. 


10, 


1864 


Jan. 


5. 


1864. 


Feb. 


29, 


1864. 


Dec. 


16, 


1863. 


Dec. 


10, 


1863. 


Dec. 


8, 


1863. 


Dec. 


28, 


1863. 


Dec. 


28, 


1863 



1864. 

1863. 

1863. 

1862, 

1863. 

1864. 

1863. 

1865. 

1864. 

1863. 

1862. 

1864. 

1864. 

1863. 

1865. 

1862. 

1862. 

1864. 

1865. 

1864. 

1863. 

1865. 

1865. 

1863. 

1864. 

1864. 

1862. 
Datenot given. 
Oct. 25, 1862. 



*Nov. 25 
Oct. 23 
tNov. 7 
July 8 
tSept. 4 
§June 22 
II June 3 
July 17 
June 22 
tJuly 3 
Oct. 15 
tMay 19 
June 22 
July 12 
June 28 
tDec. 15 
Oct. 17 
t June 11 
U June 28 
lOct. 21 
Ijjune 14 
HJune 28, 
June 28, 
Feb. 25 
June 22 
June 22 



t April 14, 1865. 
JJune 14, 1864. 
Mar. 28, 1863. 
June 15, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
No record. 
tNov. 28, 1862. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
Transferred. 
June 28, 1865. 
tNov. 3, 1864. 
2June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1855. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
tOct. 16, 1862. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
30ct. 10, 1864. 
July 19, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
tAug. 30, 1864. 
Transferred. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 



♦Transferred. tDied of disease. jDeserted. fSick at New Orleans. IlKilled at Port 
Hudson. ITOn furlough. IDied from wounds received at Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864. 2Ab8ent 
sick. 3Supposed killed. 



298 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 



Company D. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Fuller, Albert C 
Gait, Robert . . 
<iaskill, Cliaa 
Hall, John E . 
Hall, Thomas J 
Harradan, Geo. W 
Horton, Walters 
Jacobs, Joseph 
Jacobs, Richard 
Kelley, Lawrence 
Larama, John . 
Larkin, John 
Larni, David 
Lynds, Nathaniel G 
Magaghan, John 
Manahan, Samuel 
Mansur, Joseph 
Max^oni, Antoine 
Marrion, Chas . 
Merchant, .lames C 
Miller, John . . 
Miller, Thomas 
Mills, Alonzo H 
Minor, Henry H 
Moore, Patrick . 
Moran, Newton T 
Mullen. Francis 
Olds, William . 
Palmer, John . 
Perry, Milon F . 
Prue, Joseph . 
Rollins, Josepli S 
Sanford, William 
Sister, Charles . 
Sprague, Lyman W 
Styles, Jeremiah D 
Sweeney, Joseph, Jr 
Thomas, Fieeling G 
Watson, Levi . . 
White, Edward . 
White, Joseph H . 
Wilder, Solomon D 
Willis, Evander H 



Total . . 
Aggregate 



20 
30 
20 
26 
24 
18 
19 
19 
21 
28 
32 
44 
37 
39 
24 
27 
21 
22 
28 
30 
26 
32 
19 
34 
27 
22 
25 
36 
21 
28 
22 
44 
21 
18 
31 
34 
44 
21 
4.5 
40 
34 
45 
18 



7fi 
176 



Jan. 
Jan. 

March 7 
March 17 

Dec. 18 

Nov. 28 

Aug. 25 

May 10, 

May 17 

Dec. 19 

Dec. 31 

Dec. 16 

Sept. 2. 

Dec. 31 

Dec. 21 
Feb. 
May 

May 20. 

May 20 

Dec. 30, 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Feb. 
Dec. 

Dec. 23 

Jan. 3: 
Dec. 

Dec. 15 

Mav 5 
Dec 
Jan 

Dec. 16 

Dec. 10 

Dec. 21 

Dec. 31 

Dec. 2.3, 

Dec. 21 

June 2 
March 7 

Feb. 28 

Dec. 5 



,1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1864. 
', 1864. 
, 1864. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1864. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
i, 1865. 
, 1864. 
, 1862. 
, 1862. 
, 1863. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
;, 1864. 
:, 1863. 
1, 1865. 
, 1863. 
, 1864. 
, 1864. 
, 1864. 
. 1863. 
, 1864. 
, 1863. 
, 1865. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1862. 
, 1865. 
, 1862. 
, 1863. 



June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 19, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
Transferred. 
Died 1864. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 28, 18C5. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
Juue 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
Transferred. 
*Mav 31, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 29, 1865. 
tSept. 13, 1863. 
May 18, 1865. 
Transferred. 
June 2.^, 1865. 
tMar. 14, 1865. 
June 6, 1865. 
May 13, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
tMar. 14, 1S65. 
tJune 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
tJune 28, 1865. 
Juue 12, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
§Oct. 22, 1864. 
June 26, 1865. 
§June 25, 1863. 
June 28, 1865. 
§April 4, 1863. 
June 28, 1865. 



COMPANY E, WORCESTER. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Commission. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Capi., Edward Hall .... 
\st. Lieut., Kilburn Day . . 
2d Lieut., Truman P. Kellogg 


Worcester . . . 
Bethel .... 
Worcester . . . 


43 
43 
38 


Jau. 1, 1862. 
Jau. 1, 1862. 
Jan. 1, 1862. 


llOct. 28, 1864. 
IT Dec. 11. 1862. 
IJuly 23, 1862. 



•Drowned. tDeserted. tSick in General Hospital. §Died of disease. 
received at Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864. tResigned. IDied at Algiers, La. 



11 Died of wounds 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 
Company E. — Continued. 



299 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Sergeants. | 










\st., Edward S. Drown . . | Wolcott .... 


-27 


Oct. 


6, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Joseph H. Lane . . . 




Hardwick . 








24 


Dec. 


20, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


James E. Thayer . . . 




Montpelier 








35 


Oct. 


1, 1861. 


*Sept. 4. 1862. 


Xenoplioii Udall . . . 






Craftsbury 








33 


Dec. 


18, 1861. 


tMar. 11, 1864. 


Benjamin F. Morse . . 






Elmore . . 








33 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Corporals. 












"William Shontell 


Middlesex . . . 


25 


Oct. 


1, 1861. 


Feb. 12, 1863. 


Franklin A. Sanford . 








Worcester 








25 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


tFeb. 8, 1864. 


Newell H. Hibbard . . 






Bethel . 








18 


Sept. 


30, 1861. 


June 12, 1865. 


Orrin M:ixham .... 






, Northlield 








21 


Oct. 


7, 1861. 


tFeb. 1863. 


John F. Phelps . . . 






Berlin . 








28 


Dec. 


17, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Ira Barrett 






i Woodbury 








38 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


?.1une 14, 1863. 


Francis Wilson . . . 








Middlesex . 








28 


Oct. 


3, 1861. 


JDec. 5, 1862. 


Benjamin F. Bowman . 








Royal ton 








18 


Oct. 


5, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Musicians. 












Eoswell S. Nichols .... 


Middlesex . . . 


41 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


June 30, 1862. 


Martin Winchell 


Eden 


63 


Dec. 


19, 1861. 


II Aug. 18, 1862. 


Wagoner. 












Oscar Maxham 


Northfleld . . . , 


23 


Nov. 


27, 18C1. 


HJan. 25,1865. 


Privates. 












Abbott, Calvin B 


Bethel .... 


35 


Oct. 


1, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Allen, Pardon W . . 








Hardwick 








18 


Dec. 


19, 1861. 


June 30, 1862. 


Amel, Lewis. . . . 








Middlesex 








38 


Oct. 


7, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Bailev, Amos . . . 








Wolcott . 








44 


Dec. 


1, 1861. 


tJune 22, 1862. 


Bailey, John W . . 








Wolcott . 








18 


Dec. 


1, 1861. 


Julv 14, 1862. 


Bailey, Samuel A . . 








Wolcott . 








44 


Dec. 


1, 1861. 


tSept. 23, 1862. 


Bailey, Simon E . . 








Wolcott . 








18 


Dec. 


19, 1861. 


*Sept. 4, 1862. 


Barrett, Chas. A. J . 








Hardwick 








22 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


Sept. 4, 1862. 


Barrett, George . . 








Woodbury 








28 


Dec. 


16, 1861. 


June 28,1865. 


Barrett. Levi . . . 








Hardwick 








27 


Dec. 


18, 1861. 


tOct. 4, 1863. 


Bates, Albert G . . 








Barre . . 








21 


Jan. 


13, 1862. 


June 30, 1862. 


Carley, William . . 








East Montp 


Bli« 


T 




44 


Nov. 


28, 1861. 


June 4, 1864. 


Chase, Zolva W . . 








Middlesex 








19 


Sept. 


30, 1861. 


1 June 22, 1864. 


Clogston, Chas. H . 








Worcester 








21 


Sept. 


26, 1861. 


Julv 14, 1862. 


Colgrove, .John S . . 








Wolcott . 








27 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


*Sept. 4, 1862. 


Corli.ss, Albert A . . 








Tunbridge 








18 


Oct. 


7, 18G1. 


June 28, 1865. 


Corliss, Stephen . . 








Tunbridge 








44 


Oct. 


7, 1861. 


t April 22, 1863. 


Dana, Lyman . . . 








Orange . 








23 


Dec. 


17, 1861. 


Julv 7, 1863. 


Drury, .tason . . . 








Barre . . 








22 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


2Sept. 25, 1863. 


Emery, Ezra H . . 






! 1 Bethel . 








2S) 


Oct. 


3, 1861. 


tjuly 10, 1863. 


Farnham, .Tohn . . 








Middlesex 








32 


Dec. 


2.5, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Ferrin, Thomas F . . 








Walden . 








25 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


•Dec. 20, 1864. 


Foster, Isaac G. . . 








Montpelier 








43 


Jan. 


4, 1862. 


Oct. 12, 1863. 


French, David E . . 








Barre . . 








43 


Jan. 


IS, 1862. 


jNov. 10, 1802. 


Getchell, John W . 








Montpelier 








26 


Dec. 


10, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Gray, Wm. R . . .• 








Greensboro 








19 


Dec. 


21, 1861. 


*Sept. 4, 1862. 


Greenwood, Fred . . 








Middlesex 








21 


Dec. 


8, 1861. 


*Sept. 4, 1862. 


Hall, Charles . , . 








Worcester 








18 


Oct. 


1, 1861. 


June 30, 1862. 


Hills, Chas. E. L . . 








Barre . . 








18 


Dec. 


22, 1861. 


tJuly 3, 1863. 


Hills, Wm. P . . . 






. [ Waterbnry 








18 


Feb. 


7, 1862. 


.lune 22,1864. 


Holmes, Geo. P . . 






1 Woodbury 








22 


Nov. 


29, 1861. 


3Mar. 5, 1863. 


Holmes, Ira .... 








Woodbury 








24 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


.SJune 28, 1864. 


Howard, James W . 








Brattleboro 








18 


Feb. 


8, 1862. 


4June 24, 1863. 


Hutchins, Geo. G . . 








Sherburne 








29 


Jan. 


10, 1862. 


June 28,1865. 


Jones, Alonzo . . . 








Montpelier 








44 


.Jan. 


6, 1862. 


Oct. 16, 1862. 


Jones, John P . . . 








Waterbury 








18 


Dec. 


30, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Jones, William . . . 








Waterbury 








25 


Dec. 


6, 1861. 


5Jane 14, 1863. 


King, David G . . . 








Woodbury 








35 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


Aug 22,1863. 


Kinson, Benjamin H 








Middlesex 








26 


Oct. 


3, 1861. 


1 June 18, 1872. 


Labarron, Robinson . 








Woodbury 








38 


Dec. 


1,1861. 


6Julv 14, 1865. 


Lamed, Rollin E . . 
















23 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


UXov. 2, 1864. 



♦Killed at Bayou des Allemands. tTransferred. +Died of disease. §Kille 1 at Port Hudson. 
llDropped. tDied at Salisbury, N. C. ISick at New Orleans. 2Diedot wound? SDeserted. 
4Died ot wounds received at Port Hudson. 5Mi3sing in action at Port Hudson 6Sick in Gen- 
eral Hospital. 



^00 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 
Company E. — Continued. 



Xame. 



Residence. 



Maxham, Geo . . 
Mciiookiii, Henry 
Mc>Iiirj)hy, .Julius 
Morey, Hubert . 
Morse, Andrew .1 
Morse, Benjamin 
Morse, Lntlier W 
Murphy, William 
Nelson, Alonzo K 
Nelson, Edwin H 
Perrin, Geo. W 
Poor, Geo. H 
Powers, Harrison 
Putnam, Hiram M 
Reed, Alfred M 
Reed, Andrew .J 
Reeil, Edwin \V 
Rickard, Hymen 
Rogers, Eugene . 
Sabin, David P . 
Shontell, Benjam 
Shontell, Freiierick 
Shontell, Leander 
Sinclair, Hiram D 
Slack, Wra. H . 
Slay ton, Theodore 
Smith, Charles . 
Snow, Francis Y 
Staples, Chas . 
Staples, Milton 
Stevens, Collamer G 
Thompson, Leonard 
Warren, Alonzo S 
Warren, Lorenzo S 
Webster, Ephraini 
Wedge wood, Geo. E 
Wheat, Geo. F . . 
Wood, Henry M . 
Wood, Wm. W . . 
Woodbury, Asa 
Young, GustavQS S 



Rp:cruits 
Andrews, Chas. L 
Averill, .Tames W 
Averill, .John W 
Bacon, .John W 
Bahne, Deidrich 
Bates, Lewis B . . 
Becker, (iustavus G 
Bellows, Franklin 
Bement, Wni. B . 
Bigelow, Rnfus . . 
Blair, Samuel N . 
Blaisdell, Oliver T 
Blanchard, Geo. W 
Bowen, Dustin, .Jr 
Bowman, Albert H 
Bowman, Amos B 
Brandt, Aleck . 
Brust, Loui . . 
Burill, Albert .r 
Burke, Mason P 
Burke, Oscar F 



2d 



East ]\[ontpelier 

Belvidere 

Duxbury 

Wolcott . 

Elmore . 

Woodbury 

Elmore . 

Hyde Park 

Orange . 

Woodbury 

Barre . . 

Worcester 

Moretown 

Craftsbury 

Berlin 

Berlin 

Greensboro 

Bethel . 

Bethel . 

Woodbury 

jMiddlesex 

Middlesex 

Middlesex 

]Montpelfer 

Washington 

Worcester 

Worcester 

Sharon . 

Williamstown 

Williamstown 

Bethel . 

Wolcott . 

Middlesex 

Middlesex 

Orange . 

Bethel . 

Elmore . 

Waterbury 

Waterbury 

Craftsbury 

Duxbury 

Total . . 



Age. 



38 
28 
23 
43 
26 
18 
41 
34 
18 
25 
18 
29 
23 
38 
18 
20 
23 
21 
18 
30 
24 
22 
19 
44 
19 
30 
25 
19 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Oct. 

Dec. 

Dee. 

Oct. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Oct. 

Dec. 

.Jan. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Jan. 



8, 1861. 

15, 1861 

10, 1861. 
1, 1861. 

3, 1861. 

9, 1861. 
9, 1861. 

21, 1861. 

17, 1861. 
7, 1861. 

11, 1861. 

27, 1861. 
14, 1>61. 

18, 1861. 

4, 1861. 

28, 1861. 
18, 1861. 

7, 1861. 
30, 1861. 

6, 1862. 
16,. 1861. 
10, 1862. 

16, 1861. 

28, 1861. 
13, 1861. 
30, 1861. 

8, 1861. 
1, 186 1. 

4, 1861. 

6, 1.SC2. 
30, 1861. 

29, 1861, 

7, 1861. 
7, 1861. 

18, 1861. 
28, 1861. 

5, 1861. 
16, 1861. 
16, 1861. 

1, 1861. 
13, 1862. 



Feb. 21, 

Dec. 3, 

Dec. 3, 

Sept. 17, 

July 23, 

Dec. 23, 

July 30, 

Dec. 9, 

.Tan. 4, 
March 6, 

Dec. 26, 

Dec. 21, 

Dec. 3, 

Aug. 5, 

Sept. 14, 

Sept. 14, 

July 22. 

July 21, 

Feb. 13, 

Dec. 28, 

Dec. 14, 



1865. 
1863. 
18(^3. 
1864. 
1862. 
1^63. 
1862. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1864. 
1864. 
1864. 
1862. 
1862. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



.July 7, 
*Sept. 4, 
tNov. 16, 
t.Jan. 
June 22, 
June 22, 
tJune 19, 
X 

Apr. 28, 
Feb. 20, 
June 22, 
tSept. 29, 
June 22, 
June 28, 
tAug. 15, 
tAug. 29, 
Feb. 9, 
June 30, 
June 30, 
tSept. 26, 
Oct. 16, 
tMay 16, 
§Feb. 27, 
June 14, 
June 28, 
tApr. 22, 
June 22, 



June 28, 
June 28, 
Apr. 6, 
May 13, 
tMar. 19, 
Apr. 6, 
tNov. 11, 
llMav 27, 
tMar. 14, 
tSept. 3. 
tJulv 14, 
tApr. 27, 
June 22, 



.Tune 
ITOct. 
June 
June 
1 

May 
1 

tJuly 30, 
June 28, 
June 
June 
July 
June 28, 
tDec. 9, 
.Tune 1, 
.June 1 , 
ITAug. 3, 
*Sept. 4, 
June 28, 
July 12, 
July 26, 



1865. 
1862. 
1863. 
1863. 
1864. 
1864. 
1863. 

1863. 
1863. 
1864. 
1862. 
1864. 
1865. 
1862. 
1863. 
1863. 
1862. 
1862. 
1863. 
1862. 
1862. 
1864. 
1862. 
1865. 
1863. 
1864. 

1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1862. 
1863. 
1863. 
1862. 
1863. 
1863. 
1864. 



1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 



13, 1865. 



1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1862. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 



15, 



•Killed at Bayou des Allemands. tDied of disease. tSent to Dry Tortugas 3 years for 
desertion. §Transferred. IlKilled at Port Hudson. liDesertcd. ITaken prisoner Sept. 4, 
1862 ; shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862. 



ORIGIN A L ROSTER. 



\o\ 



Company E. — Continued. 



Name. 



Cammell, .Tosepli . 
Canedy, Thomas, 2<1 
Carlton, Noah, Jr 
Carroll, John . . 
Chittenden, Cassius 
Converse, Asa E 
Davis, Geo. P . 
Davi.s, John . . 
Dike, Henry L . 
Estus, Jareil . . 
Ferrin, ilatthev? 
Gale, Frederick M 
Gee, Lavyus . . 
Goodell, John A 
Grant, Geo. R . 
Grow. Henry H 
Hamilton, Geo. W 
Hannian, Theron 
Harding, .John W 
Holland, Thomas 
Horton, Franklin 
Howieson, Jas . 
Hiiet, Wiley . . 
Hull, Horace A 
Hurst, Bernard 
Jacobs. Chas. M 
Keeler, Frederic L 
Kellogg, Julius P . 
Kempton, Oliver W 
Labarron, Frank . 
Lahaize, Oliver 
Lamphere, Theron T 
Lampson, Geo . . 
■Leichleider, John . 
Leiclileider, Michael 
Little, Isaiah C. . 
Mason, Hezekiah W 
Merrill, Marshall H 
Mosman. Michael 
Nelson, .John 
Newell, William 
Olilen, Daniel . 
Olden, Geo. E . 
Olden, Henry M 
Parker, Shepard C 
Paul, Frank . . 
Phelps, lienijah 
Phelps, Edwin . 
Phipps, Josephus 
Pierce, Lyman J 
Pike, (ieo. T . . 
Poor, Julius L . 
Potter. Robert . 
Reed, Marcena . 
Reynolds, Henry A 
Robinson, tTames 
Santee, Ely . . 
Sargent, Andrew 
Sillcox, George . 
Slavton, Andrew 
StaiBford, Robert 
Staples, Francis H 
Tirrell,ErlW . 
Tracey, George . 
Utton, Edmund 
"Walbridge, Lysander E 



Resident. 



Age. 



25 
19 
18 
23 
18 
22 
25 
27 
18 
31 
22 
23 
28 
23 
18 
23 
25 
18 
18 
20 
35 
40 
45 
23 
19 
15 
19 
18 
23 
19 
28 
18 
18 
24 
20 
39 
30 
42 
22 
36 
30 
44 
20 
36 
18 
19 
27 
20 
32 
18 
18 
41 
19 
44 
22 
19 
18 
31 
25 
21 
27 
20 
26 
18 
23 
29 



Date of 

Enlistment. 



March 1, 

Dec. 12, 

Feb. 15, 

Dec. 21, 

Dec. 18, 

Dec. 8, 

Dec. 14, 



Dec. 

Dec. 
Dec. 



April 19, 

Dec. 3, 

Dec. 5, 

Feb. 14, 

Sept. 8, 

Dec. 24, 

Dec. IS, 

Feb. 10, 

Feb. 9, 

-July 11, 

Dec. 9, 

Feb. 13, 

Dec. 1, 

Dec. 18, 

July 21, 

Oct. 17, 

Jan. 4, 

Sept. 6, 

Dec. 29, 

April 22, 

Dec. 22, 

Feb. 9, 

Jan. 4, 

July 21, 

Julv 21, 

Dec. 29, 

Dec. 8, 

Dec. 25, 

July 4, 

Dec. 30, 

Dec. 18, 



I>ec. 31, 
Dec. 9, 



Dec. 
Dec. 



Aug. 16, 

Jan. 4, 

Jan. 4, 

Feb. 18, 



Feb. 
Dec. 



Sept. 10, 

Feb. 20, 

Dec. 12, 

Sept. 7, 

Dec. 22, 

Dec. 30, 
March 24, 

Dec. 21, 



Feb. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Feb. 



1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1864. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 
1864 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1862. 
l.'^63. 
18<!5. 
1863. 

i8i;3. 

1S62. 
1863. 
1864. 
1864. 
1863. 
1864. 
1863. 
1865. 
1864. 
1862. 
1862. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1862. 
1864. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1862. 
1864. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 
1863. 
1S63. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1864. 
1862. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 



Date of 
Discharge, 



*June 


28, 


.Tune 


28, 


June 


2k, 


June 


28, 


June 


28, 


June 


28, 


tJune 


28, 


tJuly 


31, 


July 


10, 


^June 30, 


June 


28, 


J une 


28, 


June 


1, 


May 


-'3, 


ilJune 


2V, 


J une 


28, 


May 


13, 


.Tune 


28, 


tMar. 


6, 


HAug 


3, 


.Tune 


28, 


.Tune 


28, 


.Tune 


28, 


,Iune 


28, 


1 




July 


l-l, 


tJune 


13, 


.lune 


15, 


JApri 


20, 


.Tune 


28, 


ITAug 


3, 


June 


28, 


June 


28, 


1 




1 




June 


28, 


June 


28, 


2Julv 


24, 


1 




June 


18, 


JApri 


4, 


jNov. 


7, 


tMay 


1'>, 


2July 


-'^. 


June 


28, 


June 


28, 


Mav 


13, 


,Tune 


28, 


Julv 


7, 


.Tune 


28, 


June 


1, 


June 


28, 


Oct. 


5, 


3June 


28, 


tJune 


28, 


June 


29, 


June 


28, 


2 J une 


16, 


June 


28, 


June 


28, 


June 


28, 


June 


28, 


June 


28, 


June 


28, 


June 


28, 



1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1805. 
1865. 
1865. 

1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 



1865. 
1865. 
1864. 

1865. 
1864. 

1864. 
18(!4. 

1864. 
1865. 

186.5. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 



•Colored cook mustered out. tSick in General Hospital. fDied of disease. §1" a"estat N. Y. 
IlKilled on Vt. Valley Railroad while en route to Brattleboro, to be mustered out. 1[Des>erted. 
ITaken prisoner Sept. 4, 1862 ; shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862. 2Transferred. 3Fifer. 



\02 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 
Company E. — Continued. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Dafo of 
Discharge. 






28 
18 
32 
44 
21 
23 
18 


Sept. 13, 1864. 
Dec. 11, 1863. 
Dec. 11, 1863. 
Nov. 16, 1863. 
Jan. 2, 1864. 
Feb. 14, 1805. 
Feb. 10, 1865. 


June 1, 1865. 


Walker, Eni.stus \ . . 
Walker, Henry H . . . 
Welcb, Thomas . . . 
Whitcomb, Frank S . . 
White, William O . . 
Williams!, Chas. R . . 








*Aug 29, 1864. 




June 28, 18(i5.- 




June 7, 1865. 




May 13, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865, 




Total 

Aggregate . . . 










94 
195 





COMPANY F, ST. ALBANS, 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Commission. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Capt., Hiram E. Perkins . . 


St. Albans . . . 


24 


Jan. 


3, 1862. 


tMay 


31, 1863. 


\st Lieut., Daniel S. Foster . 


St. Albans . . . 


22 


Jan. 


3, 186i. 


.June 


22, 1864. 


2rfiie?t<., Carter H. Nasou , 


St. Albans . . . 


27 


Jan. 


3, 1862. 


tJune 


2, 1863. 


Name. 


Residence. 


Age.. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Sergeants. 














\st., Chas. A. Prentiss . . . 


Georgia .... 


32 


Jan. 


1, 1862. 


June 


22, 1861. 


Wm. T. Church .... 






St. Albans . . . 


33 


Nov. 


22, 1861. 


June 


22, 1864. 


Henry C. Nichols .... 






Burlington . . . 


29 


Nov. 


23, 1861. 


Oct. 


8, 1863. 


Byron J. Hurlburt . . 






Georgia .... 


22 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


June 


22, 1864. 


Bonaparte J. Chase . . 






Fletcher .... 


20 


Dec. 


16, 1861. 


*June 30, 1863. 


Corporals. 














Franklin R. Carpenter . . . 


St. Albans . . . 


37 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


June 


28, 1865. 


Ezra E. Janes .... 






Georgia .... 


27 


Dec. 


22, 1861. 


§Mar. 


1, 1864. 


Charles E. Colton . . . 








24 


Jan. 


13, 1862. 


July 


14, 1862. 


Xenophon W. Wood . . 






Franklin .... 


25 


Dec. 


19, 1861. 


June 


22, 1864. 


Rufus Kingsley . . ' . . 






Fletcher .... 


30 


Nov. 


29, 1861. 


Oct. 


1, 1863. 


DeWitt C. Hurlburt . . 






Georgia .... 


26 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


Aug. 


15, 1862. 


Stephen O. Tillotson . . 








27 


Jan. 


6, 1862. 


Oct. 


18, 1862. 


Chas. A. McCluskey . . 






St. Albans . . . 


25 


Nov. 


25, 1861. 


June 


22, 1864. 


Musicians. 














Henry H. Garvin 


St. Albans . . . 


54 


Nov. 


28, 1861. 


May 


20, 1863. 


William H. Berkley .... 


Milton .... 


20 


Dec. 


18, 1861. 


June 


28, 1865. 


Wagoner. 














John Chase 




19 


Feb. 


5, 1862. 


June 


22, 1804. 


Privates. 














Allard, Peter ...... 


St. Albans . . . 


23 


Jan. 


22, 1862. 


June 


30, 1864. 


Barker, Levi .... 






Fairfield .... 


29 


Dec. 


4, 1861. 


June 


30, 1864. 


Barnes, Chester W . . 






Bakersfield . . . 


18 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


*July 


12, 1863. 


Bartrand, Napoleon, Jr 








18 


Feb. 


4, 1862. 


June 


22, 1S64. 


Bellows, Osman F . . 






Fairfax .... 


31 


Nov. 


21, 1861. 


June 


22, 1864. 


Bertrand, Napoleon . . 






St. Albans . . . 


45 


Dec. 


4, 1861. 


June 


22, 1864. 


Bordo, Julius .... 






Bakerslield . . . 


;?2 


Dec. 


5, 1861. 


June 


28, 1865. 


Bourk, Clement . . . 








22 


Jan. 


31, 1862. 


June 


22, 1864. 


Bouskey, Paul .... 








20 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


July 


17, 1865. 



*Died of disease. tPromoted to Major U. S. C. T. JDismissed the service. §Transferred 
to Veteran Reserve Corps. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 



303 



Company F. — Continued. 



Name. 






Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Brusso, Lovell . . 




St. Albans . . . 


38 


Jan. 


20, 1862. 


*Feb. 8, 1864. 


Cadret, Zevia . . 










North Hero . . 


18 


Dec. 


30 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Campbell, Zeri . . 










East Swanton . . 


21 


Dec. 


3 


1861. 


June 4, 1863. 


Carroll, Micbael . 










St. Albans . , . 


18 


Nov. 


27 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Catury, Joseph . . 










North Island . . 


19 


Dec. 


2 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Clapper, Jacob . . 










Franklin . . . 


19 


Nov. 


29 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Clemens, George . 










Bakerstield . . . 


21 


Dec. 


28 


1861. 


tFeb. 28, 1863. 


Dapotlia, P'rai . . 












21 


Jan. 


17 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


l>apotha. Gasper . 










Milton .... 


20 


Dec. 


18 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Davis, Joliii h . . 










Bakersfield . . . 


25 


Dec. 


27 


1861. 


jSept. 20, 1864. 


Davis, Lewis A 










Bakerstield . . . 


2t; 


Dec. 


16 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Decker, Wm. A . 










Alburgh .... 


18 


I>ec. 


2 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Demour, Charles . 








1 


28 


Feb. 


5 


1862. 


# 


Deo, Joseph Zed . 








Alburgh .... 


19 


Dec. 


12 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Dewey, Saiifonl . 










21 


Feb. 


18 


1862. 


§Sept. 12, 1862. 


Diicharme, Edward 








St. Albans . . . 


29 


Dec. 


19 


1861. 


II May 27, 1863. 


Duliiig, John . . 








St. Albans . . . 


25 


Dec. 


11 


1861. 


JMar. 24, 1865. 


Ellsworth, Hebron 










Bakersfield . . . 


24 


Dec. 


14 


1861. 


May 13, 1865. 


Fairfield, Geo. W . 










St. Albans . . . 


28 


Dec. 


31 


1861. 


Nov. 14, 1863. 


Faneiif, Geo. N . . 










St. Albans . . . 


18 


Nov. 


23 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Garron, Lewis . . 










Milton .... 


24 


Dec. 


20 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Gardner, Michael . 








\ Milton .... 


27 


Dec. 


16 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Goddard, Elisha A 










St. Albans . . . 


23 


Nov. 


29 


1861. 


tJune 26, 1862. 


Golf, ,James . . . 










St. Albans . . . 


38 


Dec. 


27 


1861. 


July 10, 1865. 


Goodchild, John M 












21 


Feb. 


7 


1862. 


tJune 19, 1863. 


Gould, Allen . . 










Bakersfield . . . 


42 


Dec. 


5 


1861. 


Oct. 18, 1862. 


Hazen.JoelT . . 










North Island . . 


19 


Dec. 


2 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Henchey, Peter . 












19 


Dec. 


12 


1861. 


llMay 27, 1863. 


Henchey, Thomas H 










Bakersfield . . . 


21 


Dec. 


12 


1861. 


tJan. 6, 1865. 


Houl, Hurbain . . 










St. Albans . . . 


21 


.Tan. 


4 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Hunter, William . 










Highgate . . . 


28 


Dec. 


6 


1861. 


IFeb. 2C, 1862. 


.Jennings, Gustavus E 










Fairfield .... 


18 


Dec. 


14 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Kenney, James . . 










Lowell, Mass . . 


19 


Dec. 


18 


1861. 


IMar. 15, 1862. 


Kinsley, Wm. L . 










Fletcher .... 


18 


Dec. 


9 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Lanpher, Edgar R 










Bakersfield . . . 


20 


Feb. 


5 


1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Larock, David, Jr 










Bakersfield . . . 


20 


Dec. 


12 


1861. 


IMay 18, 1864. 


Mann, Edmond . 










Richford. . . . 


20 


Dec. 


30 


1861. 


Aug. 16, 1863. 


McCauIey, John W 










Bakersfield . . . 


40 


Dec. 


9 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Merrick, Constant 










Swanton .... 


44 


Dec. 


13 


1861. 


Aug. 22, 1863. 


Merrick, Wm. A . 










St. Albans . . . 


43 


Dec. 


23 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Minor, Peter . . . 










Fairfax .... 


26 


Dec. 


12 


1861. 


Sept. 4, 1862. 


Mitchell, Diamond B 










St. Albans . . . 


44 


Dec. 


20 


1861. 


*Apr. 27, 1865. 


Moshier, Amos . . 










Milton .... 


19 


•Jan. 


6 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Moshier, Lewis . . 










Milton .... 


18 


Dec. 


24 


1861. 


tJuly 28, 1863. 


Moss, John W . . 












20 


Dec. 


9 


1861. 


Nov. 4, 1863. 


Myers, George . . 










St. Albans . . . 


35 


Jan. 


2 


1862. 


jMar. 8, 1864. 


Newton, Wm. H . 










Hinsdale, N. H . 


21 


Jan. 


18 


1862. 


*Apr. 14, 1864. 


Niles, Abner . . . 










Bakersfield . . . 


22 


Dec. 


12 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Norris, Elijah E . 










Alburgh .... 


36 


Nov. 


27 


1861. 


2June 22, 1864. 


Patnow, Peter . . 










St. Albans . . . 


22 


Jan. 


6 


1862. 


IMar. 5, 1862. 


Payne, Dighton L . 










North Hero . . 


18 


Dec. 


12 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Phelps, Henry AV . 










Fairfield .... 


29 


Nov. 


27 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Pippin, Solomon . 










Milton .... 


31 


Dec. 


16 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Reneaud, Noel . . 












19 


Feb. 


4 


1862. 


IMay 18, 1864. 


Robinson, Cephas 












19 


Feb. 


7 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Robinson, Jacob . 










Bakersfield . . . 


24 


Jan. 


3 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Rowley, Wm. H . 










St. Albans . . . 


18 


Nov. 


25 


1861. 


3 


Saltus, Edward . . 










Burlington . . . 


20 


Dec. 


24 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Saul, Edmond . . 










Barton .... 


44 


Dec. 


6 


1861. 


tJune 23, 1862. 


Scribner, Geo. W . 










Bakersfield . . . 


27 


Dec. 


20 


1861. 


tMay 2, 1863. 


Smith, Geo. G . . 










St. Albans . . . 


18 


Nov. 


23 


1861. 


June 12, 1865. 


Stickney, Elvy J . 










St. Albans . . . 


39 


Jan. 


19 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


St. Louis, Jesse 










Milton .... 


27 


Dec. 


16 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Stone, Lawrence . 










St. Albans . . . 


21 


Dec. 


16 


1861. 


Feb. 26, 1863. 


Squires, Jonathan L 










Bakersfield . . . 


22 


Dec. 


20 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Taylor, Henry W . 












39 


Jan. 


19 


1862. 


tAug. 27, 1863. 



•Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. tTransferred to Barrett's Cavalry. JDled of 
disease. §Died of wounds received Sept. 4, 1862. HKllled at Port Hudson. HDied at Salisury, 
N. 0. IDeserted. 2Sick in General HospltaL 3Taken prisoner Oct. IP, 1864; joined the 
rebel service Jan., 1865. 



504 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT 
Company F. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Eulistmeut. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Tracy, Geo. R . . 
Walswortb, Geo. W 
Wells, Chas . . . 
AVlieeler, Heiirv B 
Wliite, Stephen M 
AVhitney, Henry . 
Wood, Robert . . 



Ueckuits. 
Ainsworth, Jeft'erson . 
Albert, Peter .... 
Austin, Alonzo G . . . 
Blauilet, Hurbeine . . 
Bliss, Henry N . . . . 
Bordeau, Frank . . . 
Borell. Oliver .... 
Bullock, David O . . . 
Burnham, Benjamin F . 
Coon, Oliver E . . . . 
Cormea, Francis . . . 
Crown, Wm. E . . . . 
Cull, John H . . . . 

Da«te, Sixte 

Dodge, Geo. F . . . . 
Douglass, Abraliam . . 
Dunham, Wm. A . . . 
Fo.x, Chas. F . . . . 
French, Henry W . . 
Henshey, .lames . . . 

Inglis, John 

King. John 

Labelle, Joseph . . . 
Ladieu, Enos .... 
Laduke, ,) osepli . . . 
Mack, Orson M . . . 
Mack, Wm. H. H . . , 
Mansfield, Jerome M . 
Mathews. Geo. W . . . 
McDonald. Property 
Monty, Wilbur E . . , 
Pareau, Andrew . . . 
Parker, Geo. E . . . . 
Peltier, George .... 
Perry, Monroe .... 
Ploof, .To.sepli .... 
Prim, Seymour .... 
Provo, Alfred .... 
Provo, Columbus . . . 
Robinson, Wm. W . . 

Ruel, Chas 

Saltus, Edward . . . 
Sanderson, Chas. E . . 
Sanderson, Hiram L . . 
Shehan, Cornelius . . 
Shiner, Henry .... 
Smith, Wm. M . . . . 
Swan, Lucius Y . , , 
Thomas, John B . . . 
Wellman, Chandler F . 
Wheelock, Jolin E . . 
Whitney, Alvin .T . . . 
Wiuslow, William . . 
Wood, Ephraim . . . 
Wright, Edward B . . 
Wright, John E . . . 
Young, James L . . . 



Montgomery 



North Hero 



Fletcher . 
Fletcher . 
TcTtal . . 



Total . . 
Aggregate 



22 
21 
32 

18 
29 
18 
29 
101 



41 
19 
18 
22 
21 
18 
24 
19 
33 
29 
18 
18 
24 
20 
33 
25 
18, 
32 
32 
18 
23 
28 
24 
18 
35 
18 
19 
23 
29 
27 
18 
21 
20 
34 
17 
34 
44 
22 
21 
20 
24 
23 
18 
18 
23 
23 
20 
23 
45 
37 
23 
21 
43 
39 
23 
18 
45 



56 
157 



Jan. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Dec. 



Mar. 

Jan. 

Mar. 

Jan. 

Mar. 

Aug. 

•Jan. 

Mar. 

Dec. 

Mar. 

Dec. 

Mar. 

Mar. 

May 

Dec. 

Aug. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Aug. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

April 

Mar. 

Mar. 

Mar. 

Dec. 

Mar. 

Aug. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Mar. 

.Ian. 

Dec. 

Mar. 

Aug. 

Mar. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Mar. 

Dec. 

Mar. 

April 

Feb. 

.Tan. 

May 

.Tan. 

Mar. 

May 

Dec. 

Dec. 

.Tan. 

Mar. 

Dec. 



3, 1862. 

3, 1862. 

7, 1862. 
12, 1861. 
26, 1861. 
12, 1861. 
30, 1861. 



17, 1865. 

10, 1865. 

25, 1865. 

26, 1865. 
1, 1865. 

15, 1864. 

27, 1865. 
20, 1865. 

30, 1863. 
15, 1865. 
26, 1863. 
15, 1865. 
13, 1805. 
20, 1862. 

11, 1863. 
29, 1S64. 

o, 1863. 
10, 1863. 

3, 1863. 

4, 1864. 
15, 1864. 

31, 1863. 
23, 1864. 

5, 1864. 
3, 1865. 

15, 1865. 
15, 1805. 

13, 1865. 
10, 1863. 
15, 1865. 
29, 1864. 

28, 1863. 
2(>, 1863. 

29, 1863. 

14, 1865. 
10, 1865. 

29, 186;5. 

18, 1865. 

15, 1804. 
20, 1865. 

9, 1865. 

9, 1805. 
13, 1865. 
26, 1S63. 
20, 1805. 

3, 1865. 
10, 1865. 
25, 1805. 
20, 1802. 
25. 1865. 
15, 1865. 
25, 1864. 
18, 1863. 

7, 1863. 

4, 1864. 

30, 1865. 
28, 1803. 



June 28, 1865. 

Aug. 22, 1863. 

June 22, 1864. 

June 28, 1865. 

*Aug. 31, 1864. 

June 28, 1865. 

June 12, 1865. 



June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
tJune 1, 1865. 



June 28, 

June 28, 

fjDec. 13, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

tMay 18, 

June 28, 

April 3, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 1, 

llJune 

June 28, 

June 1, 

June 28, 

J une 28, 

June 28, 

July 20, 

j lIMay 31, 

I June 12, 

June 1, 

I June 28, 

IT May 24, 

llJan. 28, 

j June 28, 

I June 28, 

I II Nov. 26, 

I June 28, 

' June 1, 

[ June 28, 

I June 28, 

I June 28, 

I June 28, 

' June 28, 

I June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

I Sept. 22, 

1 June 28, 

June 28, 

I June 24, 

\ June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

IJune 18, 



1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
186.5. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 



*Sick in General Hospital. tDeserted. tTransferred to Seventh Vermont. §Discharged 
for promotion. ||Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. ^Died of disease. ITransferred to 
Invalid Corps. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 



305 



COMPANY G, RANDOLPH. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Commission. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Cap!!., Sam'l G. P. Craig . . 
\it Lieut., Job W. Gi-fen . . 
2d Lieut., John B. Mead . . 


Randolph . . . 
Randolph . . . 
Randolph . • . 


32 
36 
30 


Jan. 7, 1862. 
Jan. 7, 1862. 
Jan. 7, 1862. 


*May 4, 1863. 
tApril 1,1863. 
June 28, 1865. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Sergeants. 
1st, 01 ho S. A. .Sprague 
John M. Pike . . . . 
James Welch . . . . 
Wm. F. Farns worth . . 
Charles R. Wills . . . 



COEPORALS. 

Geo. W. Packard . . 
Johnson B. Sargent . 
Henry Coles .... 
Dudley C. Woodbury 
Leonard R. Lewis. . 
Charles A. Loomis 
Joseph Becotte . . . 
Geo. Walker .... 



Musicians. 
Edwin Goodwin . . 
Almond B. Hayward 

Wagoner. 
Benjamin A. Kinney 



Privates. 

Austin, Truman M 
Battles, Charles W 
Battles, Geo. W 
Battles, Ira . . 
Bell, David C . 
Beman, Samuel 
Bement, James H 
Bennett, ChaS . 
Beran, Oliver . 
Bissell, Lucius W 
Bissonel te, Paschal 
Bliss, Willis R . 
Brewster, Leroy S 
Bruce, Martin L 
Buclsley, James \V 
Clark, Warren S 
Clukay, Patrick 
Coles. Geo. W . 
Coles, Seymour N 
Coter, Jci.seiih . 
Cram, Abram E 
Cram,. Joseph . 
Currier, .Tosepli 
Davis, John . . 
Davis, Thomas . 
Depathy, John F 
Dupias, Fabian . 



Randolph , 
Shaftsbury , 
Randolph 
Braintree , 
Randolph , 



Bethel . 
Randolph 
Braintree 
Randolph 
Chelsea . 
Mt. Holly 
Roxbury , 
Randolph 



Randolph 
Randolph 



Nov. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Nov. 



Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 



Randolph 








25 


Rochester . . . 


18 


Braintree 








18 


Braintree 








18 


Braintree 








35 


Randolph 








21 


Kaiidolph 








39 


Braintree 








18 


Barre . . 








23 


Granville 








35 
25 
21 


Roxbury 








Chelsea . 








22 


Randolph 








24 


Braintree 








18 


Randolph 








26 


Sherburne 








18 


Roxbury. 








21 


Braintree 








IS 


Braintree 








18 


Braintree 








21 


Brookfleld 








30 
24 


Roxbury . 








40 


BrookJield 








21 


Fairliaven . 








33 


Randolph 
Randolph 








23 
18 



20, 1861. 

6, 1861. 
20, 1861. 

7, 1861. 
25, 1861. 



1,1861. 
14, 1861. 

7, 1861. 

2, 1861. 

9, 1861. 

7, 1861. 
22, 1861. 
14, 1861. 



Nov. 27,1861. 
Nov. 27, 1861. 



Dec. 2, 1861. 



Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
.Ian. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Feb. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Nov. 



20 


18C1. 


25 


1861. 


25 


1861. 


27 


1861. 


25 


1861. 


31 


1861. 


30 


1861. 


24 


1862. 


7, 


1861. 


25, 


1862. 


22 


1861. 


5, 


1861. 


2, 


1861. 


27, 


1S61. 


14, 


1861. 


25, 


1861. 


10, 


1861. 


25, 


1861. 


30, 


1861. 


22, 


1861. 


10, 


1861. 


4, 


1862. 


2.=i, 


1861. 


27, 


1861. 


18, 


1861. 


10, 


1861. 


27, 


1861. 



July 6, 1862. 

June 28, 1865. 

June 28, 1865. 

June 22, 1864. 

June 22, 1864. 



Sept. 8, 1863. 
Jur,e 22, 1864. 
tJune 14, 1863. 
*Sept. 10, 1863. 
*May 22, 1864. 
June 22, 1864, 
tJune 14, 1863. 
*April27, 1862. 



May 6, 1863. 
June 28, 1865. 



June 28, 1805. 



June 28, 1805. 
June 22, 1864. 
tMay 27, 1863. 
June 22, 1864. 
Jure 5, 1863. 
June 2S, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 16, 1862 
June 28, 1865. 
§Jan. 24, 1863. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 6, 1862. 
June 16, 1862. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 6, 1862. 
June 16, 1862. 
June 22, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
July 7, 1865. 
June 22,1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
Tr. Inv. corps. 
June 28, 1865. 
llSept. 20, 1863. 
II March 6, 1862. 
USept. 4, 1863. 
June 13, 1865. 



*Died of disease. tResigned. jEvilled at Port Hudson. §Commission in 3d La. Nat. 
■Guards. IIDeserted. HKilled at Boutee Station. 



3o6 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 
Company G. — Continued. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Durgiu, Cbas. S 


Vershire .... 


28 


Jan. 


16, 1862. 


*May 18, 1864. 


Eaton, Daniel W . . 










Randolpl^ . 








20 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Evans, Lyman B . 










Vershire . . 








37 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


■tSept. 13, K63. 


Farmer, George . . 










Royalton 








28 


Jan. 


2, 1862. 


tSept. 5, 1862. 


Flanders, Thomas N 










Rochester . 








21 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Flint, Abner N . . 










Randoli)h . 








27 


Dec. 


IS, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Graves, Geo. H . . 










Randolph . 








18 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


Tr.Sig.Cps.,'62 


Herricli, Lucius C . 










Randolph . 








21 


Nov, 


21, 1861. 


§Dec. 15, 1863. 


Hoit, Benjamin B . 










Corinth . . 








30 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


HAug. 18, 1862. 


Howard, Chester J - 


















21 


Dec. 


25,1861. 


II July 19. 1862. 


Howe, Geo. R . . 










Braintree . 








34 


Dec. 


21, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Hudson, Arthur . 










St. Albans . 








27 


Dec. 


30, 1861. 


*Sept. 30, 1863. 


Hull, Felis F . . 










Randolph 








29 


Oct. 


5, 1861. 


llMay 15,1863. 


Hull, Francis S. . 










Randolph . 








33 


Oct. 


5, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


.Tones, Cyrus L . . 










Granville 








22 


Nov. 


20, 1861. 


June 16, 1862. 


Jones, Stephen H . 










Roxbury . 








18 


Dec. 


16, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Kemp, Langdon . 










Sharon . 








18 


Jan. 


23, 1862. 


llJuly )6, 1863. 


Kemp, Oscar . . 










Waterbury 








28 


Dec. 


18, 1861. 


*Nov. 25, 1863. 


Kendall, George . 










Hancock 








18 


Dec. 


20, 1861. 


1 June 14, 1863. 


Kendall, Theodore B 










Braintree 








18 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 16, 1862. 


Kinney, Andrew J 










Brooktield 








43 


Dec. 


30, 1861. 


llJuly 22, 1863. 


Lamb, Edwin F . 










Braintree 








18 


Nov. 


27, 1861. 


Sept. 4, 1862. 


Lancaster, Seth H 










Randolph 








44 


Dec. 


23, 1861. 


June 6, 1862. 


Larned, Rollin E . 










Granville 








23 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


2 


Lewis, 1 >avld W . 










Chelsea . 








35 


Dec. 


10, 1861. 


IjJuly 8, 1864. 


Luce, Lyman P 










Braintree 








18 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Montgomery, Judson 


M 








Randolph 








26 


Dec. 


2, 1801. 


II June 12, 1862. 


Moulton, Wm. B . 










Randolph 








29 


Jan. 


24, 1862. 


June 16, 1862. 


Parker, Solon . . 










Northtield 








18 


T>ec. 


31, 1861. 


IJune 14, 1863. 


Parkhurst, BeTij. F 










Randolph 








33 


Dec. 


1, 18G1. 


Sept. 24, 1864. 


Plumley, Wm. D . 










Randolph 








26 


Dec. 


24, 1861. 


June 28,1865. 


Prescot't, Horton . 










Vershire . 








44 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


30ct. 1, 1864. 


Quimbv, Henry S . 










Hancock 








27 


Dec. 


20. 1861. 


llFeb. 24, 1863, 


Richards, George . 










Randolpli 








22 


Jan. 


11, 1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Richards, .Joseph . 










Brookfield 








25 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Rood, Oliver . . . 










Brooktield 








19 


Jan. 


17, 1862. 


March 31, 1863. 


Rotarv. Victory . 










Braintree 








21 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


llJune 2, 1862. 


Russ, William W. B 










Braintree 








22 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


July 5, 1865. 


Russell, Chas. . . 










Braintree 








38 


Dec. 


21, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Russell, .Tames . . 










Braintree 








27 


Dec. 


2,1801. 


*Mav 18, 1864. 


Sargent, Wallace . 










Braintree 








26 


Dec. 


4, 1861. 


June 6, 1862. 


Spear, Augustus G 










Granville 








26 


Dec. 


31, 1861. 


June 6, 1862. 


Spear, Edwin . . 










Braintree 








24 


Dec. 


31, 1861. 


ilJune 2, 1862. 


Sprague, Tyler E . 










Randolph 








18 


Jan. 


24, 1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Stowe, Melvin . . 










Randolpli 








22 


Dec. 


16, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Sullivan, .Tohn . . 










Randolph 








34 


Dec. 


10, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Sumner, Samuel W 










Braintree 








40 


Jan. 


8, 1862. 


II Aug. 6, 1864. 


Tarbell, Chas. G . 










Randolph 








18 


Jan. 


24, 1862. 


4 April 2, 1864. 


Titus, Graham N . 










Vershire . 








24 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


II Aug. 21, 1862. 


Tracy, .Tames . . 










Granville 








19 


Dec. 


7, 1S61. 


June 28, 1865. 


Tucker, Marcellus E 








Randolph 








18 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 6, 1862. 


Twilight, Chas. B. P 








Vershire . 








18 


Jan. 


16, 1862. 


5Julv 12. 186,3. 


Wills, Bliss P . . . 








Rovalton 








22 


Jan. 


20. 1862. 


June 16, 1S62. 


Woods, Timothy N . 








Randolph 








45 


Jan. 


22, 1862. 


June 28, 1865. 




Total 


100 




Recruits. 












Arnold, Benj. F 

Atwood, Irving H 

Aiiat'in RtIpv (^ ... 




23 


Dec. 


23, 1863. 


6Dec. 29, 1864. 





19 


Dec. 


28, 1863. 


llAug. 12, 1864. 




32 


Dec. 


23, 1863. 


7Sept. 22, 1864. 


XXUSLlIla XVllCj \J • 















*Deserted. t Wounded at Port Hudson May 27, and died above date. $T)ied of wounds received 
Sept. 4. § Discharged to be commissioned assistant surgeon. irT>ropped from rolls. ||l)ied of 
disease. IKilleil at Port Hudson. 2Transferred toCo. E; see record there. SDied on way to 
hospital in Vermont. 4Transfcrred to Signal Corps. 5Wounded at Port Hudson July 5, and 
died above date. ODied at Salisbury, N. C. 7Killed in action. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 
Company G. — Continued. 



307 



Name. 



Alexander, Jabez 
Austin, Geo. E . 
Bauzmont, Leon 
Blanchard, Adolph 
Brown, Wm. H 
Blake, Francis H 
Bradley, Richard 
Briggs, Henry H 
Buss'ce, Frederick 
Carmody, Con . 
Cole, Henry H . 
Coy, Chas. C . . 
Coy, Geo. E . . 
Culver, Seymour 
Colby, Stephen R 
Collins, James . 
Darling, Joseph 
Denison, Henry H 
Dunham, Wm. C 
Depays, Antoine 
Ellis, Daniel R. 
Ensworth, Geo. W 
Flanders, Geo. W 
George, Jethro S 
Gould, Shubael . 
Granger, John . 
Gibson, Alexander 
Green, Edward A 
Green, Wm. W. 
Griffin, .Joshua M 
Hackniai), John 
Harlow, Wm. W 
Hatch, John . . 
Hay, David . . 
Henry, John 
Hoezle, Louis . 
Honey, Amau S 
Johnson, Henry T 
Johnson, .James 
Johnston, William 
Kean, Dennis . 
Kilbourne, George 
Lackey, Amasa . 
Leftredge, Barney 
Lyman, .Joel P . 
Lesure, John G 
Metcalf, Marquis L 
Miller, Lorenzo D 
Morrill, John F 
Martin, Aaron H 
Mitchell, John . 
Montgomery, Mon 
Moore, Levi . . 
Ordway, Chas. H 
Negus, Timothy O 
Page, Joseph P 
Pierce, Chas. A 
Putnam, Geo. P 
Pifer, Peter . . 
Powers, .James .... 
Rauchenberger, Frederick 
Richards, Charles ... 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 

Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



44 


Feb. 


21,1865. 


30 


Sept. 


6, 1864. 


31 


junie 


20, 1862, 


21 


March 11, 1862. 


23 


June 


1, 1802. 


18 


July 


6, 1864. 


23 


Aug. 


10, 1864. 


23 


Feb. 


14, 1865. 


18 


July 


4, 1864. 


27 


June 


17, 1862. 


19 


Jan. 


1, 1864. 


23 


Dec. 


30, 1863. 


28 


Dec. 


30, 1863. 




Deo. 


29, 1863. 


18 


Feb. 


21, 1865. 


24 


Jan. 


26, 1865. 


21 


Dec. 


29, 1863. 


2(5 


Jan. 


1, 1864. 


22 


Aug. 


23, 1864. 


29 


July 


1, 1864. 


44 


Dec. 


10, 1863. 


18 


Sept. 


5, 1864. 


34 


Dec. 


30, 1863. 


26 


Jan. 


2, 1864. 


23 


Dec. 


24, 1863. 


29 


Dec. 


17, 1863. 


22 


April 


6, 18(i5. 


20 


Aug. 


4, 1864. 


41 


Sept. 


19, 1864. 


39 


Feb. 


15, 1865. 


33 


July 


2, 1862. 


18 


Nov. 


18, 1863. 


35 


Dec. 


28, 1863. 


23 


June 


26, 1862. 


25 


Nov. 


1, 1863. 


28 


July 


1, 1862. 


21 


Jan. 


1, 1864. 


21 


Dec. 


28, 1863. 


18 


Jan. 


26, 1865. 


35 


June 


23, 1862. 


21 


June 


1, 1862. 


27 


Jan. 


2, 1864. 


44 


Dec. 


10, 1863. 


27 


Nov. 


1, 1863. 


24 


Jan. 


2, 1864. 


18 


Aug. 


18, 1864. 


18 


Dec. 


21, 1863. 


26 


Dec. 


26, 1863. 


26 


Dec. 


21, 1863. 


30 


Feb. 


18, 186.5. 


21 


Aug. 


10, 1864. 


26 


Aug. 


12, 1,S64. 


30 


Aug. 


20, 1864. 


18 


Dec. 


8, 1863. 


18 


Aug. 


18, 1864. 


42 


Dec. 


3, 1863. 


22 


Dec. 


17, 1863. 


35 


Dec. 


3, 1863. 


39 


July 


12, 1864. 


21 


Feb. 


20, 1865. 


25 


May 


19, 1862. 


21 


Nov. 


16, 1863. 



lOct. 
July 
June 
June 



June 2S, 1865. 
*Oct. 19, 1864. 
June 22, 1864. 
tApril 12, 1863. 
jMarcliT, 1863. 
§Nov. 22, 1864. 
June ], 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 22, 1865. 
llJuly 23, 1863. 
June 28, 1865. 
ITAug. 22, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28. 1865. 
IJune 10, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1,1865. 
16, 1864. 
7, 1865. 
1, 1865. 
28, 1865. 
lApril 14, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 13, 1865. 
2June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 1, 1S65. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
lApril 29, 1804. 
June 28, 1865. 
§July 23, 1862. 
2June 28, 1865* 
SJune 28, 1863.. 
IMar. 28, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
§June 1, 1865. 
4June 14, 1863. 
jMarch 7, 1863. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865 
2June28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1855. 
June 28, 1865. 
Tr. Inv. corps. 
IFeb. 22, 1865. 
22, 1>65» 
1, l!-65. 
1, 1865. 
1, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
July 7, 186.5. 
June 28, isdS. 
INov. 27, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 



June 
•June 
June 
.June 



♦Killed at Cedar Creek. tKilled at Bisland. jShot by rebels while prisoner. §Deserted 
llWounded at Port Hudson May 27, and died above date. HDied on U. S Steamer Mississippi' 
IDied of disease. 2Colored cook. SWounded at Port Hudson June 14, and died above date' 
4Killed at Port Hudson. * 



308 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 
Company G. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 

Discharge. 



Richards, True E . . 

Rj'an, Dennis . . . 

Rowell, Aaron . . . 

Smith, Geo. W . . . 

Smith, .Tohn A., Jr . 

Smith, Josiah . . . 

Smltli, Mdnroe . . . 

Stevens, Nathaniel L 

Slack, Chas. 1) . . . 

Stone, Sardis G . . 

Titus, Henry H . . 

Trask, Reuben L . . 

Thresher, Edwin F . 

Van Lew, Lewis . . 

Wales, Geo. A . . . 

Wissler, Herman . . 

Webb, Chas. A . . . 

Whitcher, Alfred . . 
Whitcher, Charles 

White, Samuel . . . 



Total . . 
Aggregate 



43 

25 
19 
37 
23 
25 
21 
40 
33 
40 
19 
19 
24 
22 
17 
16 
18 
20 
24 
19 



Nov. 16 

June 12 

Feb. 21 

Dec. 26 

Dec. 24 

Dec. 17 

Nov. 16 

Nov. 16 

Aug. 15 

Aug. 18 
Feb 

Nov. 16 

Sept. 3 

Jan. 26, 

Dec. 30 

May 21 

Aug. 12. 
March 16' 
March 16 
March 14 



, 1863. 
, 1862. 
, 1865. 
, 1S63. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1804. 
, 1864. 
', 1862. 
, 1863. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1S63. 
, 1862. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 



June 

»May 

June 

§May 

June 

tJuly 

June 

§April 

§Mar. 

June 

June 

§April 

June 

June 

llJune 

June 

June 

§April 

June 

June 



28, 1865. 

27, 1863. 

28, 1865. 
30, 1864. 
28, 1865. 
18, 1865. 
28, 1865. 

21, 1864. 
15, 1865. 

1, 1865. 
28, 1865. 
24, 1864. 

1, 1865. 
28, 1865. 

22, 1864. 
1, 1865. 
1, 1865. 

20, 1865. 
28, 1865. 
28, 1865. 



185 



COMPANY H, TOWNSHEND. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Commission. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Capt., Henry F. Dutton . . 
\st Lieut., Alvin B. Franklin 
2<i Lieut., Wm. H. H. Helton 


Ludlow .... 
New fane . . . 
Jamaica .... 


24 
23 
20 


Jan. 17, 1862. 
Jan. 17, 1862. 
Jan. 17, 1862. 


UNov. 16, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
1 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Sergeants. 












\st., S. E. Howard .... 


Jamaica .... 


21 


Nov. 


19, 1861. 


2Dec. 9, 1864. 


Wm. H. Smith 


Townsliend . . 


26 


Nov. 


19, 1861. 


June 2S, 1865. 


Lemuel I. Winslow .... 


Townshend . . 


21 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


3Feb. 12, 1864. 


Samuel H. Bailey 


Townsliend . . 


36 


Dec. 


28, 1861. 


3Dec. 12, 1862. 


Geo. M. Allard 


Readsboro . . . 


28 


Dec. 


21, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Corporals. 












Geo. M . Kissell 


Wardsboro . . 


34 


Dec. 


1, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Henry K. McClure .... 


Townsliend . . 


31 


Nov. 


22, 1861. 


4June 22, l,'-62. 


Alvin G. Higgins 


Brookliiie . . . 


25 


Dec. 


31, 1861. 


§Dec. 9, 1863. 


Joseph N. Dunton .... 


Townsliend . . 


23 


Nov. 


23. 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Hymenius A. Davis .... 


Landgrove . . . 


18 


Dec. 


23, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


John W. Saunders .... 


Wardsboro . . . 


31 


Jan. 


4, 1862. 


4 June 22, 1862. 


Gilbert G. Hilliard .... 


Landgrove . . . 


40 


Dec. 


16, 1861. 


§Sept. 14, 1863. 


George W. Putnam .... 


Wardsboro . . . 


25 


Jan. 


4, 1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Wagoner. 












Burnell B. Gale 


Townshend . . 


25 


Jan. 


2, 1862. 


5Aug. 16, 1862. 



*KilIed at Port Hudson. ^Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps June 17, 1864, and dis- 
charged above date. §l>ied of disease. i| Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. HFrom 
■wounds received at Winchester, Sept. 19. IWounded June 22, 1862, and transferred to Veteran 
Reserve Corps. 2For wounds received at Cedar Creek Oct. 19. STransferred to U. S. C. T. 
4Iv.illed at Raceland. 5Killed on engine. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 
Company H. — Continued. 



309 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discbarge. 



f Privates 

Ak-elev, Clark B 
Akeley, Willard H 
Aldrich, INIilo D 
Allen, Jonathan V 
Barker, Augustus 
Bartlett, Charles 
Blood, Oliver 
Bowker, Wilbur P 
Boyd, Francis .J 
Boynton, Myron L 
Brown, Charles 
Brown, Henry B 
Bush, Alonzo P 
Cliilds, Samuel S 
Clough, George 
Cook, Calvin L 
Crocker, Plenry "W 
Crowley, Noah S 
Cutler, Chas. A 
Darling, Chas. H 
Davis, Arthur C 
Davis, Otis A . 
Dean, Chas. A . 
Dean, Theodore L 
Derry, Benj. F . 
Dodge, Randolph 
Evans, Albert O 
Fairbanks, Luzern 
Faulkner, Eli J 
Gates, John E . 
Hale, Albert T 
Harlow, Dexter I 
Harrington, Geo. R 
Harris, Romanzo A 
Harvey, Lyman H 
Haynes, Newell F 
Henry, James M . 
Hodgkins, Merrill L 
Holt, Lovell S . . 
Howard, Hardin W 
Howard, Horace W 
Howard, Wm. H. H 
Ingalls, Wm. H . 
Jenkins, Amos L . 
Kilburn, Henry A 
Lee, Edwin P . . 
Lincoln, Matthias J 
Long, Joseph Madison 
Mack, Daniel . . 
Merrifield, Albert H 
IVIillei-, Ransom B 
Oaks, Ebenezer, Jr 
Ormsbv, Geo. E . 
Peck, Joseph H 
Perry, Wm. W., Jr 
Pettee, Waitstill R 
Porter, Newton H 
Puffer, Henry . . 
Putnam, Dana P 
Putnam, Erwin L 
Putnam, Henry H 
Putnam, Sidney C 



Brattleboro 
Brattleboro 
Readsboro . 
Winhall . . 
Whltingham 
Townshend 
Landgrove . 
Peru . . . 
Readsboro . 
Jamaica . . 
Rockingham 
Whitingham 
Brookline 
Landgrove 
Stratton . 
Wardsboro 

Athens . 

Brookline 

Jamaica . 

W'ilmington 

Landgrove 

Woodstock 

Woodstock 

Grafton . 
Windham 
Whitingham 
Londonderry 

Readsboro 
Landgrove 
Windliam 
Windham 
Stratton . 
Wilmington 
Townshend 
Wardsboro . 
Readsboro . 

Townshend 

Jamaica . . 

Townshend 

Landgrove 

Wardsboro 

Re;idsboro 

Stratton . 

Peru . . 

Windham 

Brookline 

Westminster 

Athens . 

Townshend 

Stratton . 

Brookline 

Wardsboro 

Townshend 

Readsboro 

Stratton . 

Wardsboro 

Stratton . 

Stratton . 



27 
19 
24 
20 
20 
20 
24 
20 
24 
23 
18 
23 
18 
18 
30 
18 
32 
40 
2G 
28 
18 
18 
18 
24 
33 
23 
18 
18 
18 
23 
23 
19 
18 
19 
18 
20 
18 
20 
31 
18 
21 
22 
21 
33 
23 
21 
18 
18 
18 
19 
18 
31 
18 
28 
21 
18 
20 
18 
22 
18 
21 
19 



Jan. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Feb. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Dec 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Disc. 

Jan. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Feb. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Jan. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Feb. 

Dec. 



13 


1862. 


3 


1862. 


21 


1861. 


30, 


1862. 


1 


1862. 


23 


1862. 


15 


1862. 


17 


1861. 


7 


1862. 


17 


18G2. 


IG 


1862. 


17 


1862. 


2.5, 


1862. 


30 


18G1. 


13 


1862. 


17 


1861, 


27 


1861. 





1862. 


13 


1.S62. 


10 


1861. 


2.5 


1861. 


13 


1861. 


6 


1862. 


K) 


1861. 


15 


1862. 


8 


1862. 


18 


1861. 


29 


1862. 


28 


1861. 


9 


1861. 


21 


1861. 


13 


1861. 


3 


1862. 


13 


1862. 


10 


1862. 


17 


1861. 


17 


1862. 


6 


ISGl. 


13 


I8G2. 


2 


1861. 


8 


1862. 


29 


1861. 


G 


1861. 


23 


1861. 


1 


1862. 


21 


1861. 


9 


1862. 


18 


1861. 


16 


1861. 


29 


1861. 


18 


1SG2. 


13 


1862. 


3 


1861. 


31 


1862. 


6 


1862. 


10 


1861. 


18 


1862. 


20 


1862. 


10 


, 1862. 


19 


, 1861. 


2 


, 1862. 


12 


, 1861. 



*Oct. 1, 

June 28, 

June 28, 

tOct. 19, 

June 22, 

I May 27, 
June 22, 
iiMay 27, 
June 22, 
June 22, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
§Aug. 26, 

II Nov. 28, 
June 28, 
June 22, 
J June 14, 
June 2S, 
June 5, 
June 28, 
June 27, 
June 28, 
June 22, 
Aug. 11, 
June 28, 
June 22, 
UNov. 9, 
Nov. 25, 
June 27, 
June 28. 
§July 19, 
June 22, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 22, 
June 22, 
§Oct. 15, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
Sept. 13, 
June 28, 
June 22, 
June 27, 
June 22, 
June 28, 
June 26, 



July 

Nov. 20, 
June 28, 
June 2S, 
Nov. 20, 
§Oct. 15, 
tOct. 19, 
June 28, 
1 June 22, 
June 28, 
Feb. 21, 
June 28, 
Oct. 31, 
June 22, 
Oct. 18, 
April 7, 



1862. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1864. 
18G3. 
1864. 
1863. 
1864. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1862. 
1864. 
1865. 
1864. 
1863. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1862. 
1865. 
1864. 
1862. 
1865. 
1864. 
1864. 
1863. 
1862. 
1865. 
1S62. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1864. 
1862. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1864. 
1862. 
1864, 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1862. 
1865. 
1865. 
1862. 
1862. 
1864. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1862. 
1864. 
1862. 
1864. 



* Wounded June 22, and discharged above date. tKilled at Cedar Creek. jKilled at Port 
Hudson. §Died of disease. || Wounded at Cedar Creek, and died from same above date. 
IT Wounded" at Cedar Creek Oct. 19, and died above date. 1 Wounded April 12, 1863 ; mustered 
out above date. 



310 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 
Company H. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 

Enlistment. 



Date of 

Discharge. 



Ramsdell, Jolin . . 
Keed, Elbridge J . . 
Eicliaidson, Lowell M 
Shine, Myion M . . 
Smith, Arnold M . . 
Smith, Robert H . . 
Smith, Stillman . . 
Stickney, Warren B . 
Stowe, Henry J . . 
Thompson, John M . 
Toby, Henry A . . 
Twonibly, Albert J . 
Upham, Bradford H 
Wellnian, Marshall W 
White, Alvin H . . 
"White, Cyrus M . . 
Wliite, Ira M . . . 
Wood, AiKlrew J . . 



Recruits. 
Bergin, Geo. D 
Bissell, Lucius W 
Brimhall, Fred F 
Brown, Benj. P . 
Brown, Marvin M 
Brown, Lansford H 
Butler, Herbert J 
Booth, William . 
Bartlett, INIiltonB 
Bates, Frankford H 
Canedy, Simon 
Church. Erastus 1) 
Cook, Palmedus F 
Davis, Henry F 
Derry, Ormando C 
Eaton, Chauncy C 
Fish, Walter W . 
Frasa, Joseph . . 
Frascovia, James . 
Oraves, .Joseph ]) 
Oreeiie, Luther A 
Greene, Edward H 
Harlow, Horace . 
Holland, Chas. H 
Hooper, James . . 
Jackson, Willis 
Jenkins, Herbert W 
Kelley, Frank J . . 
Kidder, Washburn A 
Kilburn, Nathaniel A 
Lee, Alfred A . . 
Lee, Anson W . . 
Lincoln, Matthias 
Lewis, Edwin E . 
Marlboro, Thomas 
Martin, Anselm . 
Morgan, Andrew B 
Ormsby, .lohn L . 
Parsons, Wni. H . 
Pierce, Geo. H . . 
Prouty, Fred M ' . 



Wardsboro . 
Grafton . . 
Londonderry 
Townshend 
Rockingham 
Wardsboro . 
Wardsboro . 
Brookline . 
Wilmington 
Landgrove . 
Whitingham 
Windham . 
Windham . 
Brookline . 
Wardsboro . 
Wardsboro . 
Wardsboro . 
Putney . . 

Total . . . 



21 
30 
18 
37 
19 
21 
18 
38 
23 
25 
18 
19 
18 
18 
29 
22 
44 
28 
29 
29 

18 
38 
23 
39 
24 
23 
18 
20 
22 
18 
31 
19 
21 
19 
17 
19 
18 
18 
23 
18 



Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 



Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Feb. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Sept. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Sept. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
June 
Jan. 
Dec. 

Feb. 

Feb. 

Sept. 

Jan. 

Aug. 

Sept. 

Feb. 

Sept. 

Sept. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Feb. 

Apr. 

May 

July 

Dec. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Dec. 



, 1861. 

, I8(;i. 

, 18(11. 
, 1861. 
, 1802. 
, 1801. 
, 1861. 
, 1861. 
, 1861. 
, 1801. 
, 1862. 
, 1861. 
, 1861. 
, 1802. 
, 1801. 
, 1801. 
, 18G1. 
, 1861. 



11, 1803. 
30, 1863. 
22, 1863. 
14, 1865. 

17, 1863. 
10, 1863. 

4, 1864. 
6, 1805. 

6, 1865. 

12, 1864. 

2, 1864. 

18, 1863. 

16, 1865. 

3, 1862. 

4, 1803. 

17, 1863. 

4, 1863. 
25, 1862. 

7, 1863. 
10, 1803. 

10, 1865. 
10, 1865. 
1, 1864. 

5, 1865. 

30, 18{i3. 

12, 1864. 

13, 1865. 
1, 1864. 
5, 1804. 

10, 18(;3. 

18, 180.S. 

19, 1863. 
9, 1805. 

29, 1864. 
21, 1862. 
4, 1862. 

31, 1863. 
1.3, 1864. 
10, 1803. 

1, 1863. 



June 22, 
June 27, 
*June 22, 
June 28, 
IJune 
June 22, 
t June 22, 
Sept. 23, 
June 22, 
Nov. 30, 
J une 27, 
^Jan. 17, 
June 22, 
*June 22, 
June 22, 
June 22, 
June 22, 
llJuly 27, 



1884. 
1862. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1864. 
1864. 
1863. 
1864. 
1862. 
1862. 
1863. 
1864. 
1862. 
1864. 
1864. 
1864. 
1862. 



June 28, 1865. 
Julv 17, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
§!\Iav 24, 1865. 
ilJul'y 13, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
Mav 22, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28,1865. 
§ April 25, 1864. 
May 25, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
Feb. 25, 1863. 
June 28, 1865. 
July 1, 1865. 
June 1,1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
IJune 10, 1864. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
§Mar. 11, 1865. 
^une 28,1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
§ April 6, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28,1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
2June 28, 1865. 



•Killed at Raceland. tDeserted. tDischarged for promotion in 2d La. Volunteers. §Died 
of disease. llWonnded June 22, and died above date. ITDied on steamer for Washington. 
ICoIored cook; died of disease. 2Drummer. 



ORIGIN A L ROS TER. 
Company H. — Continued. 



311 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Pufter, Frank A . . . 
Plietterplace, lierbert H 
Powers, Setli . . 
Pratt, Geo. M . . 
Pratt, Melvin R . 
Prouty, John . . 
Reed, Wui. H . . 
Rhodes, Jason O . 
Rocco, John . . . 
Russell, Obadiah N 
Ryder, Robert . . 
Scliorrp, Theophilus 
Smith, William 
Smith, William 
Steenburg, John G 
Skinner, Geo. W . 
Stocker, Daniel M 
Tliomi>son, .John A 
Thompson, Josiali D 
Wellman, Merrill AV 
Williams, Geo. A . . 
Williams, .John 
Wood, Albert P . 
Way, Oscar H . . 
White, Cyrus M . 
White, Geo. A . . 



Total . . 
Aggregate 



18 
20 
18 
26 
21 
20 
28 
26 
23 
23 
31 
00 
CO 
20 
2i) 
18 
20 
19 
25 
18 
23 
17 
21 
18 
23 
23 



67 
164 



Dec. 

Feb. 

Jan. 

Feb. 

Sept. 

Aug. 

July 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Aug. 

Feb. 

May 

Aug. 

May 

Sept. 

Aug. 

Sept. 

Aug. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Aug. 

Dec. 

Feb. 

Sept. 

Sept. 



19, 1863. 

13, 1865. 

26, 1805. 

8, 1865. 

2, 1864. 
30, 1864. 

3, 1862. 
7, 1863. 
7, 1803. 

4, 1864. 
6, 1865. 

21, 1862. 
30, 1863. 

21, 1802. 
10, 1862. 
26, 1864. 

1, 1864. 
28, 1804. 

13, 1805. 

14, 1863. 

5, 1804. 
30, 1863. 

3, 1803. 

22, 1865. 
1, 1864. 
1, 1864. 



June 28, 1865. 
May 23, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
*Date unkn'wn 
tNov. 20, 1864. 
June 28, 1805. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
Feb. 6, 1865. 
tJuly 6, 1864. 
§June 28, 1865. 
il Promoted. 
June 1, 1865. 



June 
June 
June 
June 



1, 1865. 

1, 1865. 

1, 1865. 
28, 1865. 
June 14, 1865. 
May 13, 1865. 
§June 28, 1865. 
June 28. 1865. 
*April 8; 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 



COMPANY I, MARLBORO. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Commission. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Capt., Wm. W. Lynde . . . 
\st Lieut., Geo. N. Holland . 
2d Lieut., Joshua C. Morse . 


Marlboro . . . 

Newfaue . . . 
Newfane . . . 


34 

27 
30 


Jan. 17,1862. 
Jan. 17, 1862. 
Jan. 17, 1862. 


tOct. 18,1862. 
HOct. 25, 1802. 
HJuly 10, 1863. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
^Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Sergeants. 












\st., Geo. E. Selleck .... 


Brattleboro . . 


27 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


Feb. 20, 1865. 


Edward R. Pratt 


Putney .... 


23 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


IJune 14, 1863. 


Oscar VV. Richardson . . . 


Brattleboro . . 


28 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


2June 22, 1864. 


Thomas F. Betterly .... 


Newfane . . . 


24 


Nov. 


26, 1861. 


tJune 31, 1863. 


Lewis Brayman 


Marlboro . . . 








Feb. 1863. 


Corporals. 












Edward P. Gregory .... 


Guilford .... 


35 


Jan. 


4, 1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Bonaparte Hudson .... 


Newfane .... 


20 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


*May 24, 1862. 


Rufus C. Thorn 


Guilford. . . , 


26 


Nov. 


21, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Henry H. Black 


Putney .... 


20 


Nov. 


9, 1861. 


Feb. 28, 1863. 


Francis E. Warren .... 


Newfane .... 


23 


Dec. 


23, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Otis L. Brown 


Putney .... 


21 


Dec. 


11, 1861. 


April 16, 1864. 


Lewis H. Lamb 


Wilmington . . 


18 


Dec. 


16, 1861. 


30ct. 19, 1864. 


Waller J. Parker 


Putney .... 


18 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 



*Died of disease. tDied from wounds received at Cedar Creek Oct. 19, 1864. JDeserted. 
§Colored cook. || Promoted in 2d La. Volunteers. ITResigned. IKilled at Port Hudson. 
2Clerk at headquarters 19th Army Corps. SKilled at Cedar Creek. 



312 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 
Company I. — Continued. 



Name. . 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Musicians. 












Geo. F. Pluiinuer 


Marlboro . • . 


17 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


William F. Forbush .... 


Newfane. . . . 


15 


Jan. 


13, 1862. 


July 15, 1862. 


Wagonek. 












Benjamin F. Davis .... 


Brattleboro . . 


34 


Jan. 


4, 1862. 


July 15, 1862. 


Privates. 












Alls, Horace . 


Newfane. . . . 


25 


Dec. 


11, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Arling, Solomon S . . . 








Dover 


34 


Dec. 


8, 1861. 


*July 23, 1863. 


Baldwin, Alpbonzo D . 








Dover 


18 


Dec. 


30, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Baldwin, Henry G . . 








Dover 


23 


Dec. 


17, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Bartlett, Clarence A . 










19 


Feb. 


7, 1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Bemis, Leonard C . . 








Newfane. . . . 


36 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


t April 25, 1865. 


Betterly, Alfred A . . 








Newfane . . . 


19 


Nov. 


29, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Betterly, Geo. S . . . 








Newfane . . . 


19 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


May 4, 1863. 


Betterly, Gilbert W . . 








Newfane .... 


18 


Jan. 


13, 1862. 


July 16, 1862. 


Bishop, Geo. J . . . . 








jMarlboro . . . 


19 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


t 


Black, James F . . . 








Putney .... 


18 


Nov. 


21, 1861. 


tSept. 19, 1864. 


Blashtield, Henry C . . 








Newfane .... 


18 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


§Juiie 14, 1863. 


Bolan, Patrick . . . 










20 


Feb. 


7, 18^2. 


June 28, 1865. 


Brown, Clark . . . 








Newfane .... 


23 


Dec. 


3, 1861. 


July 17, 1863. 


Brown, Frank . . . 








Marlboro . . . 


18 


Jan. 


16, 1862. 


Sept. 21, 1863. 


Brown, Geo. D . . . 








Putney .... 


20 


Dec. 


11,1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Burrows, Geo. P . . 








Guilford. . . . 


22 


Dec. 


14, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Carlton, Byron . . . 










18 


Feb. 


7, 1S62, 


.1 une 22, 1864. 


Carpenter, Elon B . 








Newfane ... 9. 


18 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Carr, Michael . . . 










31 


Dec. 


20, 1861. 


June 6, 1863. 


Cattley, Andrew . . 








Guilford. . . . 


21 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Charter, Samuel . . 








Newfane .... 


32 


Jan. 


16, 1862. 


llJune 22, 1864. 


Church, Henry . . . 








Newfane. . . . 


33 


Dec 


5, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Davis, Eros L . . . 








Newfane .... 


18 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


ITMar. 18, 1862. 


Davis, Hiram . . . 








Newfane. . . . 


44 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


July 15, 1862. 


Dowes, Henry W . . 








Newfane .... 


18 


Nov. 


28, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Eddy, Geo. P . . . 








Whitingham . . 


25 


Dec. 


9, i861. 
24, 1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Fisher, Edmund . . 








Guilford. . . . 


43 


Jan. 


jSept. 19, 1864. 


Gates, Alvin .... 








Newfane .... 


21 


Nov. 


28, 1S61. 


June 28, 1865. 


Gates, Solomon S . . 








"Wilmington . . 


31 


Dec. 


17, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Gray, Miron .... 










18 


Dec. 


17,1861. 


IJNIav 24, 1864. 


Gregory, Stephen . . 








Guilford. . . . 


44 


Jan. 


4, 1862. 


*June 24, 1863. 


Grover, Eleazer . . 








Guilford .... 


34 


Feb. 


2, 1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Hescock. Oscar B . . 










18 


Dec. 


12, 1861. 


2 


Higley, Elliott J . . 








ISIarlboro . . . 


20 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


Oct. 15, 1862. 


Hill, Elbridge G . . 










44 


Feb. 


7, 1862. 


♦June 13, 1863. 


Hines, Isaac H . . . 










28 


Nov. 


27, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Houghton, Charles E 








Marlboro . . . 


22 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


July 30, 1863. 


Howard, A rial . . . 








Brattleboro . . 


38 


Dec. 


3, 1861. 


Feb. 2, 1864. 


Howard, Wm. E . . 








Brattleboro . . 


23 


Jan. 


25, 1862. 


Oct. 15, 1862. 


Howe, John C . . . 








Brattleboro . . 


18 


Dec. 


28, 1861. 


Julv 15, 1862. 


Ingram, Chas. E . . 








Newfane. . . . 


18 


Dec. 


6, 1861. 


Sept. 30, 1863. 


Kerr, Alonzo D . . 








Putney .... 


23 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Lamson, Daniel . . 








Newfane. . . . 


27 


Nov. 


27, 1861. 


*Mar. 10, 1863. 


Leonard, Horace C . 








Dover 


18 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


Oct. 15, 1862. 


Martin, Daniel . . . 










18 


Dec. 


27,1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Morrill, Eleazei- D . 










43 


Nov. 


7, 1861. 


Feb. 28, 1863. 


Morse, Luke J . . . 








Newfane. . . . 


23 


Nov. 


27, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Movnehein, Humphrey 








Brattleboro . . 


26 


.Tan. 


1, 1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Park, Otis .... 










20 


Dec. 


G, 1861. 


Nov. 1863. 


Peavey, Augustus C. 








Newfane. . . . 


18 


Nov. 


30, 1861. 


Nov. 28, 1862. 


Phillips, Chas. F . . 








Putney .... 


18 


Nov. 


28, 1861. 


30ct. 19, 1864. 


Prouty, Ellas S . . . 








Halifax .... 


36 


Nov. 


12, 1S61. 


Aug. 14, 1864. 


Prouty. Harvey . . 








Marlboro . . . 


32 


Nov. 


12, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Kead.'Charles . . . 










18 


Dec. 


2, 1861. 


tMar. 1, 1864. 



*Died of disease. tTransferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. jKilled at Winchester. §Killed 
at Port Hudson. ||Wagoner. ITDied on ship Wallace. IDeserted. 2Date of discharge not 
given. 3KiIled at Cedar Creek. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 
Company I.- — Continued. 



313 



Name. 



Residence. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Rice, Orrin L . 
Rice, Romaiizo G 
Richardson, Thomas 
Sawyer, Willard W 
Smith, Almon S 
Smith, Amos F. 
Smith, Charles S 
Smith, Henry J 
Smith, Homer E 
Smith, AVilliam 
Stratton, Asa H 
Sullivan, Timothy 
Thomas, Albert H 
Tooley, David A 
Tyler, Steiihen M 
Tyler, Lev^is A . 
Ward, Austin H 
"Warner, Prank R 
Webster, Oscar N 
Wheeler, Allen INI 
Whittaker, Foster S 
Whitney, Porter J 
Wood, Chester N . 
Wood, Lewis A . . 
Woodman, John P 
Worden, Alfred S . 
Worden, Francis N 



Recruits 
Bartlett, Justin . 
Bingham, Albert H 
Blanchard, John . 
Blood, Chas, J . . 
Bongoune, Ferdinand 
Brayman, Lewis . 
Brown, Chas. F . 
Bryant, Joseph C . 
Babcock, Jonathan 
Bell, Henry C . . 
Blanchard, Amos P 
Brown, Clark L . 
Colburn, Elbridge G 
Carroll, Henry W . 
Davis, Charles . . 
Davis, Solomon . . 
Dunklee, Willard S 
Estabrooks, Sidney J 
Fairbanks, Wayland E 
Fletcher, Joseph W 
Ford, Albro V. B . 
Fitts, Elmer . . , 
Fox, Sylvester . . 
Glidden, Milo H . 
Grover, Landon J 
Hagar, Daniel W . 
Hill, Herbert E . 
Houghton, Bradley, Jr 
Howard, George 
Hall, Emery W 
Higley, Wm. M 
Ingram, Chas. E 
Ingram, John H 



Wardsboro . 
Wardsboro . 
Wilmington 
Putney . . 

Marlboro 
Putney . . 
Putney . . 

Newfane. . 

Whitingham 

Wardsboro . 
Brattleboro 
Newfane . . 



Marlboro 

Marlboro 

Brattleboro 

Brattleboro 

Brattleboro 

Marlboro 

Marlboro . 



Total 



44 
21 
29 
20 
33 
39 
27 
20 
43 
20 
26 
26 
18 
21 
23 
39 
37 
19 
21 
21 
20 
26 
18 
23 
35 
18 
17 
27 
18 
18 
35 
21 
19 



Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Feb. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Feb. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Dec. 



, 1861. 
,, 1861. 
, 1861. 
, 1861. 
, 1861. 
, 1861. 
, 1801. 
, 1861. 
;, 1861. 
, 1862. 
i, 1862. 
:, 1862. 
', 1861. 
I, 1862. 
, 1862. 
;, 1861. 

, 1861. 
, 1862. 
, 1801. 
, 1861. 
, 1861. 
, 1861. 
, 1862. 
, 1862. 
, 1862. 
', 1861. 
, 18C1. 



Dec. 28 
Jan. 2 
Dec. 
Dec. 

May 20, 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Sept, 
Feb. 
Sept. 
March 6 
Dec. 31 
Feb. 14 
Dec. 3 
March 4 
Sept. 7 
Aug. 11 
Dec. 24 
Jan. 1 
Dec. 29 
Sept. 1 
May 21 
March 1 
Sept. 5 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 

Dec. 28 
Feb. 7 
Sept. 
Aug. 10 
Aug. 1.3, 



, 1863. 
, 1804. 
', 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1862. 
, 1864. 
, 1863. 
:, 1864. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1863. 
, 1865. 
, 186.'3. 
, 1865. 
, 1864. 
, 1864. 
, 1863. 
, 1864. 
, 1863. 
, 1864. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1864. 
:, 1863. 
\ 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1863. 
, 1865. 
, 1864. 
, 1864. 
, 1864. 



*Aug. 21, 
June 28, 
Jan. 

June 28, 
June 28, 
July 30, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
t 

June 22, 
JDec. 2, 
§Mar. 1, 
*Aug. 30, 
June 22, 
July 15, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
Oct. 15, 
jMay 18, 
June 22, 
llJune 11, 
June 28, 
*Aug. 17, 
June 28, 
June 28, 
*June 23, 



1862. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 

1864. 
1863. 
1864. 
1863. 
1864. 
1862. 
1865. 
1865. 
1862. 
1864. 
1864. 
1863. 
1865. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1862. 



June 28 
tJuly 14 
June 28 
ITSept. 19; 
tDec. a: 
June 28 
June 28 
*Sept. 
June 1 
June 28; 
June 
June 28, 
June 28 
*June 19 
June 28 
June 28 
*Mar. 17 
June 28 
*Jan. 25 
May 26, 
June 28 
June 1 
June 28 
tJune 1 
June 1 
June 28, 
June 28 
May 
June 
June 28 
June 1 
May 



13 



June 28 



, 1865. 
, 1864. 
. 1865. 
, 1864. 
, 1862. 
, 1865. 
, 1805. 
, 1864. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
;, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1805. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
,, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 
, 1865. 



*Died of disease. tDied at New Orleans. tDeserted. §Transferred to Veteran Reserve 
Corps. II Killed at Port Hudson. HKilled at Winchester. 



314 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT 
Company I. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 




38 
18 
18 
27 
18 
23 
21 
21 
18 
25 
19 
19 
27 
25 
19 
21 
22 
27 
18 
19 
31 
23 
26 

16 
21 
29 
19 
19 
21 
25 
19 
30 
23 
18 
22 
20 
18 
21 


Aug. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Mar. 
Sept. 
Mar. 
Dec. 
Sept. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
May 
July 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Aug. 
Dec. 
Aug. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Mar. 
July 
Mar. 
Sept. 
Feb. 
Sept. 
Sept. 
Aug. 
Dec. 
Aug. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Sept. 
Feb. 
Sept. 
Mar. 


10. 1864. 


June 28, 1865. 




21 

21 

15 

1 

11 

10 

25 

10 

8 

10 

6 

20 

24 

21 

24 

12 

6 

5 

30 

22 

15 

2 

6 

1 

2 

15 

5 

10 

6 

24 

30 

14 

30 

16 

10 

5 

6 

6 

4 


1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1865. 
1862. 
1862. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1862. 
1863. 
1862. 
1863. 
1863. 
1864. 
1863. 
1864. 
1862. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1864. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1863. 
1864, 
1865. 
1864. 
ISfi.'i. 


*Sept. 19, 1864, 




July 31, 1865. 




tJune 1, 1865. 




June 1, 1865. 




t 




May 25, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 






June 28, 1865. 




June 28, 1865. 




June 28, 1865. 




June 28, 1865. 




tDec. 3, 1862. 




tAug. 2, 1863. 
June 28, 1865. 






§Oct. 19, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 






tJuly 5, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 






11 June 28, 1865. 




Nov. 16, 1864. 




t June 28, 1864. 




June 28, 1865. 




*Sept. 19, 1864. 




No record. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 




June 1, 1865. 




June 17, 1865. 




UMar. 11, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 




IJune 11, 1864. 




June 28, 1865. 
IJuIy 5, 1864. 




June 2, 1864. 




June 28, 1865. 




June 28,1865. 
June 28, 1865. 




June 28, 1865. 




June 28, 1865. 


Total 

Aggregate . . . 






73 
174 





Ingram, Jonathan M 
Jenks, Charles E 
Johnson, Luther R 
Jeffers, John 
Jones, Emory S 
Johnson, James 
Kerr, Warren W 
Knox, Chas. R . 
Kelley, John D 
King, Wallace D 
Kirk, John . . 
Kirk, Richard . 
Landry, Simon . 
Leonard, John . 
May, Sidney L . 
Mills. Alonzo . 
Mills, Daniel B . 
Myers, Jacob 
Park, Oscar E . 
Parker, Solomon S 
Parsons, Samuel L 
Phillips, Hiram O . 
Phinney, Detroit . 
Pierce, Walter W . 
Plummer, Geo. F . 
Prouty, Emerson F 
Perkins. John Vanslev 
Plumb, Ezra W . 
Powers, Lewellyn 
Robinson, Moses W 
Shelley, Leroy . . 
Smiley, Antoine . 
Stearns, Henry M . 
Steward, William . 
Townshend, Lewis J 
Whitney, James P 
Warner, -James M 
Wedge, Hiram . . 
Williams, Geo. C . 
Woodcocls, Abra H 



COMPANY K, LUNENBURG. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Commission. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Capt., John S. Clark . . . 
1st Lieut., Adoni'm J. Howard 
2d Lieut., Geo. F. French 


Lunenburg . . 
Brighton . . . 
Lunenburg . . 


39 
29 
31 


Jan. 22, 1862. 
Jan. 22, 1862. 
Jan. 22, 1862. 


2 Mar. 20, 1863. 
UNov. 18, 1862. 
3June 21, 1863. 



♦Killed at Winchester. tDeserted. jDishonorably discharged. §Killed at Cedar Creek. 
llColored cook. HDied of disease. IColored cook, deserted. 2Died at Hospital Hotel Dieu, 
New Orleans. SResigned. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 
Company K. — Continued. 



315 



Name. Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Sergeants. 
\st, Andrew J. Sargent . . 
Marshall W. Wright . . . 

Perry Porter, Jr 

George 0. Ford 


Barnet .... 
Lunenburg . . 
Sutton .... 
Gran by .... 


28 
22 
19 
26 


Feb. 13, 1862. 
Dec. 9, 1861. 
Jan. 1, 1862. 
Dec. 16,1861. 


Feb. 26, 1865. 
July 5, 1862. 
June 28, 1865. 
Feb. 26, 1865. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Corporals. 












Albert Hill 


Concord .... 


32 


Dec. 


19, 1861. 


July 5, 1802. 


Myron C. Newton 








Lunenburg 








29 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


July 5, 1862. 


George D. Gilman 








Brighton 








31 


Dec. 


23, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Alonzo L. Ford . . 








Granby . 








24 


Dec. 


14, 1861 


*Sept. 3, 1863. 


John Petrie .... 








Brighton 








22 


Dec. 


23, 1861. 


tOct. 21, 1864. 


Chauncev M. Snow . 








Lunenburg 








25 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


George W.Hill . . 












20 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


John Elkins . . . 








Sheffield . 




20 


Jan. 


16, 1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Musicians. 












Nathan C. Cheney .... 


Lunenburg . . . 


35 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


tOct. 21,1864. 


Martin J. Pond 


Lunenburg . . . 


35 


Dec 


9, 1861. 


Oct. 2:!, 1802 


Wagoner. 












Wesley H. Day ..... 


Lunenburg . . . 


22 


Dec. 


0, 1801. 


J July 12, 1863. 


Privates. 












Adams, Geo. S 


Lunenburg . . . 


23 


Jan. 


13, 1802. 


June 22, 1864. 


Aldrich, Hosea . . 








Concord . . 






19 


Dec. 


27, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Alilrich, John H . . 








Concord . . 






18 


Dec. 


25, 1861. 


♦Mar. 18,1863. 


Babb, Richard . . . 








Charleston . 






18 


Jan. 


9, 1862. 


June 28, 1805. 


Bacon, Geo. W . . 








Brattleboro 






44 


Feb. 


10, 1862. 


Julv 5, 1862. 


Barnes, David A . . 














43 


Feb. 


15, 1862. 


July 5, 1802. 


Bartlett, Chas. W . 








Guildhall . 






18 


Jan. 


18, 1862. 


*Nov. 2!), 1862. 


Bates, Geo. D . . . 








Guildhall 








19 


Jan. 


18, 1862. 


*Nov. 9, 1862 


Bigelow, Lewis F . . 








Brighton 








22 


Jan. 


1, 1862 


June 28, 1805. 


Blake, Edgar R . . 








Barton . 








18 


Dec. 


25, 1861. 


July 5, 1862. 


Boyce, John W . . 








Granby . 








18 


Jan. 


4, 1862. 


*Mar. 1, 1<02. 


Boyce, Richard T . 








Granby . 








44 


Jan. 


1, 1862. 


April 13, 1862. 


Bunker, William B . 








Newark . 








32 


Feb. 


10, 1862. 


April 15. 1864. 


Burt, Chas C . . . 








Lyndon . 








23 


Jan. 


1, 1802. 


July 5, 1862. 


Buzzell, Solon D . . 








Granby . 








25 


Jan. 


3, 1862. 


*April 29, 1862. 


Carroll, Charles R 








Newark . 








21 


Feb. 


10, 1862. 


§Sept. 4, 1862. 


Chase, Wm. E . . . 








Lunenburg 








18 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


II 


Cheney, Charles . . 








Lunenburg 








43 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Cheney, Frank . . 








Burke 








18 


Jan. 


1, 1862. 


July 5, 1862. 


Cheney, Nelson . . 








Lunenburg 








28 


Dec. 


9, 1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Cole, Daniel .... 








Burke 








25 


Jan. 


6, 1862. 


*July 6, 1863. 


Coolbeth, Ransom 








Lowell . 








18 


Nov. 


19, 1861. 


IT July 30, 1865. 


Corson, Geo. J . . . 
















24 


Feb. 


17, 1862. 


§Sept. 4. 1862. 


Croteau, Joseph . . 








Lyndon . 








20 


Jan. 


10, 1862. 


*June 18, 1862. 


Dapry, Francis . . 








Charleston 








39 


Jan. 


10, 1862. 


Feb. 28, 1863. 


Drown, Aaron . . . 








Lunenburg 








20 


Jan. 


20, 1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Drown, Charles . . 








Concord . 








20 


Jan. 


30, 1862. 


1 June 23, 1864. 


Drown, Geo. W . . 








Concord . 








24 


Jan. 


20, 1862. 


2June 23, 1864. 


Dun ton, Geo. W . . 








Lunenburg 








25 


Jan. 


22, 1862. 


*Nov. 1, 1863. 


Durlam, Jonathan L 








Concord . 








38 


Dec. 


23, 1861. 


HFeb. 1864. 


Eastman, Alfred W . 








Concord . 








31 


Jan. 


4, 1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Fairbanks, Deming D 








Newark . 








21 


Feb. 


10, 1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Farnham, Chas. H . 








Victory . 








18 


Dec. 


7, 1861. 


*Sept. 4, 1862. 



*Died of disease. fWounded at Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, and died on above date. tWounded 
at Port Hudson July 7, 1863, and died on above date. §Killed at Bayou des Allemands. 
llDied at Algiers, La. lITransferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. IWounded at Port Hudson, 
May 27, 1863, and discharged above date. 2Sick at New Orleans. 



3i6 



THE EIGHTH VERJ/ONT. 
Company K. — Contlmted. 



Name. 


Residence. 


Age. 


Date of 
Enlistment. 


Date of 
Discharge. 


Gordon, John G 


Newark .... 


21 


Feb. 


10, 1862. 


♦July 8, 1863. 


Griffin, Otis E . . 










Granby . 








21 


Jan. 


6 


1862. 


*Ang. 14, 1863. 


Grow, Chas. 11 . . 


















19 


Nov. 


30, 


1861. 


*Aug. 5, 1862. 


Hart, Wm. A . . 










Newark . 








18 


Jan. 


8 


1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Hartwell, Clias. W 










Brighton 








27 


Jan. 


28 


1862. 


July .5, 1862. 


Hartwell, James S 










Lunenburg 








22 


Jan. 


21 


1862. 


*Nov. 5, 1862. 


Hartwell, Sylvester 










Lunenburg 








18 


Dec. 


23 


1861. 


June 28, 1^65. 


Hawkins, Walter W 










Johnson . 








18 


Nov. 


11 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Howard, Barzilla P 










Brighton 








20 


Dec. 


23 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Hudson, Wm. C . 










Newark . 








21 


Jan. 


8 


1862. 


*May 7, 1863. 


Hunter, Harrison 










Lyndon . 








21 


Jan. 


1 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


lugalls, Lewis J . 










Belvidere 








2.3 


Nov. 


2 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Jenkins, Willis . 










Burke 








35 


Dec. 


23 


1861. 


*July 23, 1862. 


Jewell, Wm. H . 










Lunenburg 








21 


Jan. 


21 


1862. 


1863. 


Leary, Joseph . . 










Derby 








18 


Feb. 


11 


1S62. 


tSept. 4, 1862. 


Leonard, WiUis R 










Albany . 








IS 


Nov. 


21 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


McQuade, Thomas 










Derby 








21 


Dec. 


27 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 


Morse, Geo. W . . 










Brighton 








20 


Jan. 


28 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Mooiiey, Otis G 










Lunenburg 








18 


Dec. 


20 


1861. 


tMay 18, 1864. 


Oloott, John C . . 










Lunenburg 








18 


Dec. 


9 


1861. 


Mar. 14, 1863. 


Parker, Levi H . 










Lunenburg 








21 


Jan. 


13 


1862. 


June 28,1865. 


Parker, Oramel H 










Burke 








2.5 


J an . 


1 


1862. 


*Nov. 6, 18C2. 


Peavey, Geo. W . 


















33 


Feb. 


15 


1862. 


April 1864. 


Perham, Lyman F 










Brighton 








32 


Jan. 


4 


1862. 


§Oct. 19, 1864. 


Perry, Jamon . . 










Charleston 








19 


Jan. 


10 


1862. 


July 5, 1862. 


Petrie, William . 










Brighton 








19 


Jan. 


11 


1862. 


llJune 28, 1865. 


Phillips, John C . 










Lunenburg 








30 


Jan. 


7 


1862^ 


Oct. 15, 1862. 


Pierce, Ezra S . . 










Lunenburg 








28 


Jan. 


9 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Pond, Eben . . . 










Lunenburg 








31 


Dec. 


9 


1861 


1[June 12, 1863. 


Presbrey, Charles F 










Lunenburg 








19 


Jan. 


21 


1862. 


Feb. 22, 1863. 


Price, Edward . . 










Brighton 








22 


Jan. 


11 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Raymond, Arthur M 










Brighton 








18 


Feb. 


1 


1862. 


JMay 18, 1864. 


Roseblade, Henry 


















18 


Feb. 


17 


1862. 


June 28,1865. 


Ryder, John A 










Coventry 








18 


Feb. 


12 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Shores, Ethan P . 










Granby . 








20 


Dec. 


9 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Shores, George W 










Granby . 








22 


Jan. 


1 


1862. 


July 5, 1862. 


Shores, Paschal P 










Granby . 








18 


Dec. 


9 


1861. 


§Oct. 19, 1864. 


Silsby, Wm. H . 










Westmore 








25 


Jan. 


1 


1862. 


June 28,1865. 


Simons, Solon L . 










Lunenburg 








19 


Dec. 


2 


1861. 


June 28, 1865. 


Smith, James W . 










Newark . 








23 


Feb. 


3 


1862. 


June 28, 1865. 


Smith, Rufus D . 










Newark . 








18 


Jan. 


10 


1862, 


April 12, 1864. 


Spencer, Orange C 










Westmore 








18 


Feb. 


10 


1862. 


June 22, 1864. 


Stoddard, Hollis K 










Burke . . 








21 


Jan. 


1 


1862. 


Nov. 25, 1862. 


Stone, Chas. F . . 










Guildhall 








20 


Jan. 


18 


, 1862. 


tSept. 4, 1862. 


Strout, Hooper D. 










Brighton 








23 


Jan. 


7 


, 1862. 


Oct. 2.3, 1862. 


Thomas, Joseph W 










Concord . 








18 


Jan. 


7 


, 1862. 


July 5, 1862. 


Vaunce, Warren E 










Lunenburg 








34 


Dec. 


9 


1861. 


Oct. 15, 1862. 


White, Alanson . 












29 


Jan. 


2 


1862. 


July 16, 1862. 


Woodruff, Henry . 












18 


Jan. 


1 


, 1862. 


♦Jiily 4, 1863. 


Woodsum, John E 










Brighton . . . 
Total 


25 


Dec. 


27 


1861. 


June 22, 1864. 




101 






Recruits. 












Bailev, James H 




28 
16 


Dec. 
Dec. 


29, 1863. 
1, 1863. 


Mar. 10, 1864. 


Kail, "Frederick 




*July 25, 1864. 


Barron, Harry V 

Bomen, Anthony 

lirooks, Thomas 




22 


Dec. 


30, 1863. 


June 28, 1805. 




19 


July 

Nov. 
July 
Feb. 
Feb. 


10, 1862. 


June 1, 1865. 




25 
25 


1, 1863. 
7, 1862. 


IJune 28, 1865. 


Burk, Julius W 




jMay 18, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 


Barber, Isaac H 




23 
17 


11,1865. 
14, 1865. 


Bedell Charles 




June 28, 1865. 















*Died of disease. tKilled at Bavou des AUemands. 
lIFlfer. ITKilled at Port Hudson. ' IColored cook. 



tDeserted. §Killed at Cedar Creek. 



ORIGINAL ROSTER. 
Company K. — Continued. 



317 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Bigelow, Horace P 
Brown, Hobart J . 
Chase, John J . . 
Cheney, Leonard C 
Corey,' Alfred . . 
Carbo, Joseph . . 
Corcoran, John 
Douglas, Franklin B 
Daniels, Hiram S . 
Dean, George . . 
Drown, Noah, Jr . 
Egan, Thomas . . 
Furbush, George . 
Febbor, Jerry . . 
French, Geo. W . 
Goodall, Willard . 
Goodell, Almond C 
Grant, Albert D . 
Gray, John . . 
Gordon, Lum D 
Gray, .Saben 
Hetzel, Paul . 
Hungerford, David A 
Howard, George 
Hutching, Lewis 
Jackson, Jonathan W 
Jefts, Norman L . 
Leed, Gilbert . . 
Leimon, -Auguste . 
Lucas, Franklin M 
Leacy, William 
Lewis, John D . . 
Lincoln, Eugene . 
Marcotte, Henry . 
Martin, Benjamin S 
Miles, Joseph O . 
Morse, Abial T . . 
Morsini, Ernest . 
Murrill, Patrick . 
Morse, Geo. W . . 
Morton, Mar.shall F 
Mulligan, P^dward 
Nutter, Henry B . 
Olcott, Brainerd S 
Page, George . 
Pentield, Sam'l T 
Placette, Pierre 
Phease, Philip . 
Pottle, Andrew J 
Preston, George 
Roberts, Abel C 
Roberts, Perley P 
Russell, Franklin 
Russell, Hiram 
Rav, Albert . . 
Robinson, John 
Round, Julius S 
Round, Stephen D 
Rounds, Watson 
Ryan, James 
Ryder, John A . 
Scheikert, Simon 



22 
18 
18 
19 
21 
37 
19 
21 
29 
27 
34 
22 
2-t 
18 
45 
19 
22 
21 
19 
18 
25 



Feb. 11, 1865. 
March 7, 1865. 
Dec. 15, 1863. 

1, 1863. 

4, 1864. 
24, 1865. 

6, 1865. 

4, 1864. 
March 27, 1865. 
Dec. 24, 1864. 

6, 1864. 
13, 1865. 
21, 1S63. 

24, 1864. 
23, 1865. 

5, 1863. 

25, 1863. 
1, 1863 
3, 1863. 

23, 1865. 
21, 1865. 
11, 1862. 

30, 1863. 

6, 1865. 
3, 1865. 

11, 1865. 
18, 1863. 

6, 1865. 

8, 1862. 
18, 1863. 

9, 1862. 

5, 1864. 
20, 1865. 

3, 1864. 

27, 1863. 

4, 1864. 
25, 186.3. 

8, 1862. 

4, 1864. 
March 10, 1865. 
Feb 14, 1SG5. 

12, 1865, 
12, 1864. 

6, 1864. 

31, 1863. 
3, 1863. 

7, 1802. 

1, 1863. 

5, 1>'64. 
11, 1865. 
30, 1863. 
30, 1863. 

2, 1864. 
23, 1863. 
11, 1865. 
16, 1865. 
20, 1865. 
20, 1865. 
11, 1865. 

28, 1864. 
No record. 
May 19, 1862. 



Dec. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Jan. 



Aug. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Sept. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Feb. 

July 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Jan. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

Feb. 

Feb. 

Dec. 

July 

Aug. 

Feb. 

May 

Nov. 

Jan. 

Dec. 

Dec 

Jan. 



•Ian. 
Sept. 
Sept. 
Dee. 
Dec. 
July 
Feb. 
Sept. 
Feb. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Jan. 
Dec. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Keb. 
Feb. 
Dec. 



June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 18, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
*June 22, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
May 26, 1865. 
June 29, 1865. 
*Mar. 24, 1865. 
No record. 
June 1, 1865. 
tNo date given 
*July 16, 1864. 
JJuly 15, 1865. 
June 29, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
*May 18, 1SG4. 
June 2.S, 18(;5. 
rXune 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
§Sept. 4, 1862. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
II Nov. 16, 1864. 
June 28, 18(i5. 
June 28, J865. 
*July 28, 1864. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
*July 5, 1(^64. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 12, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
tApril IS, 1865. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
*May 18. 1864. 
*May 18, 1864. 
June 28, 18C,,5. 
June 1, 1865. 
June 2s, iMio. 
June 28, 1865. 
-Tune 28, 1865. 
HOct. 19, 1864. 
June 9, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
May 13, 1865. 
*Mar. 24, 1865. 
June 28, 1865. 
ISept. 19, 1864. 



♦Deserted. fDied of disease, tTransferred to Veteran Reserve Corps, June 15, 1864, and 
mustered out on above date. §Killed at Bayou des Allemands. || Wounded at Cedar Creek Oct. 
19, 1864, and died on above date. HKilled at Cedar Creek. 1 Wounded at Winchester. 



3i8 



THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 
Company K. — Continued. 



Name. 



Residence. 



Age. 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Date of 
Discharge. 



Silsby, Charles 
Simpson, Sewall 
Silsby, Almont . 
Silsby, Geo. H . 
Sleeper, James M 
Thomas, Lewis 
Thomas, Oscar . 
Tillison, Stephen W 
Turbush, George 
Ward, Frank . 
West, Franklin E 
Wood, Willard 
Webb, Darwin A 
Webb, Frederick M 
Webb, AViUiam H 
Willson, Melvin A 
Wilson, John . . 



Total 



87 
188 



Dec. 10, 

Dec. 30, 

Feb. 23, 

Sept. 9, 

Jan. 23, 

Dec. 1, 

Dee. 18, 

Feb. 10, 

Dec. 21, 

July 7, 

Jan. 4, 
March 6, 

Sept. 13, 

Feb. 14, 

Feb. 21 , 

Sept. 13, 

Dec. 20, 



1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1864. 
1865. 
1863. 
1863. 
1865. 
1863. 
1862. 
1864. 
1862. 
1864. 
1865. 
1865. 
1864. 
1864. 



*Mar. 

June 

June 

June 

June 

*Oct. 

June 

June 

June 

tMay 

June 

July 

June 

June 

June 

May 

tMay 



27, 1864. 

28, 1865. 
28, 1865. 

1, 1865. 
28, 1865. 
16, 1864. 
28, 1865. 
28, 1865. 
28, 1865. 
18, 1864. 
28, 1865. 

5, 1862. 

1, 186.5. 
28, 1865. 
28, 1865. 
13, 1865. 
15, 1865. 



*Died of disease. fDeserted. 



RECAP/TULA TION. 



319 



RECAPITULATION. 



Original members, Com. oft". 36 

En. men 980— Total lOlG 

GAIN. 
Promotion, Fr. other regiments. Com. off. 2 

Transfer, Fr. other regiments. En. men 2 

Kecruits, Appointed Com. off. 

Enlisted men, 740— Total 752 

Total gain 756 

Aggregate 1772 

LOSS. 
Promotion to other regiments, Com. oft". 1 

To U. S. Army, Com. off". 2 

En. men 34— Total 36 

Total by promotion 37 

Transfer, To Vet. Res. Corps, En. men 5.5 

To Signal Cori)S, „ „ 2 

To regular army, ,, ,, 1 

To org's of other States, ,, ,, 3 

To other regiments, ,, ,, 1 

Total by transfer G2 

Death, Killed in action, Com. ott". 2 

En. men 69— Total 71 

Fr. w'ds rec. in act'n, Com. oft'. 2 

En. men 31— Total 33 

Disease, Com. off. 

En. men 207— Total 213 

Prisoners, En. men 20 

From accident, ,, ,, 8 

Total by death 345 

Discharge, Resignation, Com. oft". 10 

Disability, Com. off. 4 

- En. men 224— Total 228 

For w'ds rec. in act'n, Com. otF. '2 

En. men 12 — Total .;.... 14 
Dishonorable, Com. oft". 3 

En. men 0— Total 9 

Total by discharge 267 

Deserted, 86 

I>ropped from rolls, 1 

Not finally accounted for, 4 

Total Loss 802 

Mustered out of service. Com. off. 46 

En. men 924:— Total 970 

Aggregate 1772 

Total wounded .236 

Total re-enlisted 321 



APPENDIX 







~fY^uyoUyiAl^iffif..<J'C^ 



MONUMENTS DEDICATED 



VALLEY OF THE SHENANDOAH. 



CEREMONIES AT WINCHESTER. 

Twenty-one years after the great battles of Winchester and Cedar 
Creek, the survivors of the Union arm};, organized as " Sheridan's 
Veterans' Association," and the veterans of Early's Confederate 
army, held a re-union in the Shenandoah Valley. During that sojourn 
amid the stirring scenes of the great conflict in arms, two monuments 
were dedicated with appropriate ceremonies, in the erection of which 
the Eighth Vermont Regiment took a special interest. They were 
the beautiful and costly gifts of one of the youngest soldiers who served 
in the Valley campaigns, a brave and patriotic comrade of the Eighth 
Vermont, in whose youthful veins flowed the martial blood of two 
great-grandfathers who fought and suffered under Gen. Washington. 

Thro-igh this thoughtful generosity of the donor it happened that 
the regiment which was so conspicuous for gallantry on the fields of 
Opequon and Cedar Creek, and had the honor to charge and break 
the enemy's lines, was also the first to mark those historic spots with 
battle monuments. The custom of thus identifying the dates and 
scenes of decisive battles is as old as history itself, and other engage- 
ments of the civil war had already been recorded in scriptured stone ; 
but it was the happy thought of Col. Hill, who has been untiring in 
his efforts to perpetuate the records of the great deeds of his own 
regiment, to first plant in the Valley shafts of marble from the 
quarries of his own adopted state, in honor of heroism displayed. 



322 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

The monuments were furnished by ex-Gov. Redfield Proctor, at 
the Vermont Marble Works in Rutland, and in style and finish are 
appropriate to the purpose for. which they were designed. The one 
at Winchester stands about twelve feet high, and consists of a 
prismoidal shaft on a solid plinth and base. It bears the following 
inscription : 



HONOR THE BRAVE. 

ERECTED TO 

Commemorate the Bayonet Charge of the 

EIGHTH VERMONT VOL'S. 

Led by 

GEN'L STEPHEN THOMAS, 

Sept. jq, 1864. 

Cojiimitted to the care 0/ those once a 

brave foe, now our generous friends. 

Gift of Comrade 

HERBERT E. HILL, 

\ Boston, Mass. 

Dedicated Sept. iq, iSSj. 



It was a lovely September day just twenty-one years after the 
famous battle, when this monument was dedicated in the presence of 
a vast concoursj of people, including citizens from near and far, as 
well as the assembled veterans of both armies. Nature wore her 
gorgeous autumn apparel, the soft rustle of ripening harvests filled 
the air, and a smile of universal peace brooded in the valley, when 
the monument was presented in these words, by the donor : 



ADDRESS OF COL, HILL. 

Veierans of the Armies of U. S. Grant and R. E. Lee : 

This is a memorable occasion. The surviving members, officers and 
men, of the Eighth Vermont Regiment, are assembled to dedicate a monu- 
ment to mark the ground covered by that regiment in the famous bayonet 
charge made twenty-one years ago this very afternoon. We have as wit- 



PRESENTING THE GIFT. 323 

nesses during this service, not only many brave sons of Vermont and sister 
states who fought in the Union army, but also war-worn veterans who 
served in the Confederate army. We are on historic and sacred ground \ 
for on and near this spot the veterans of vSigel, Banks, Cook, and Sheridar* 
of the Federal armies, and Early, Ramseur, Gordon, and Stonewall Jackson 
of the Confederate armies, have' struggled at one time or other, in fearful 
and bloody encounters from the first to the last of the civil war. The 
Eighth Vermont, in erecting this monument, knows to-day no North, no 
South. This shaft speaks for American valor, and such valor is public 
property, and belongs to the nation ; and while the heroic action of a Ver- 
mont regiment is designated, the Confederate veteran may proudly point to 
this very spot, as proving his own bravery and heroism in contending in a 
hand-to-hand conflict, an American himself, with an American. 

It was on Sept. 19th, 1864, and the hosts of Early and Sheridan were 
locked in battle's embrace. The Confederates had repulsed, and by gallant 
counter-charges driven back, the Federals; and the result hung trembling; 
in the balance, when Gen. Stephen Thomas, as brave an officer as ever 
buckled a sword, on his own responsibility during this crisis ordered the 
bayonet charge referred to, and rode himself with drawn sword in front of 
the line of steel bayonets, recovering more than the lost ground, and hold- 
ing the same till the close of the battle. His charge proved to be the turn- 
ing-point of this great battle. But not for victory or defeat, but rather tck 
commemorate the lofty heroism of the regiment, and to mark the pathway 
of desperate fighting, where noble men gave up their lives, is this monu- 
ment erecteci ; and with equal propriety should the Confederate veterans 
mark the locality of gallant charges by their own troops. 

As at Gettysburg, so here (where eleven battles were fought during the 
war), where fighting raged fiercely, ought memorials to be erected, that the 
residents of this beautiful valley, as well as the visitors from abroad, may 
have no difficulty in locating the position of regiment or brigade which took 
part in the far-famed contests which took place in and around this historic 
city. And now, through you. General Stephen Thomas, president, I pre- 
sent this monument to the Association of the Eighth Vermont Volunteers. 
May it ever stand in its purity before the generous citizens of the Shenan- 
doah Valley, a pleasant reminder of the fraternal and happy greetings of 
veterans who fought during the war as only Americans could fight, but who» 
when the war was over, shook hands as cordially as they had fought 
fiercely. 

This monument was cut from the Green Mountains of Vermont, and 
chiselled at the extensive works of one of Vermont's governors, Colonel 
Redfield Proctor, who commanded a Vermont regiment during the war. 
As it left a scene of busy life and prosperity, so may it bring to the sacred 
soil of Virginia nothing but good will and prosperity, a memorial of ever- 
lasting friendship and a reunited country. 



324 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

General Stephen Thomas accepted the monument in behalf of 
the regfiment in the following words : 



ADDRESS OF GEN. THOMAS. 

Colonel Hill : 

Sir, when 1 contemplate your youth, and that your patriotism led 
you to enlist into the United States service when less than sixteen 
years of age ; when I remember what a good, a faithful soldier you 
were to the close of that great contest ; how you have travelled over the 
battlefields of this our common country since the war, and like unto a 
Christian have gathered the remains of fallen heroes which you found upon 
those fields, and deposited them in national cemeteries ; and how true you 
are and have been to the constitution and flag of our Union, and the great 
brotherhood of man ; and how by industry and integrity you have risen 
from the poor American soldier boy to be the American citizen of afiluence ; 
— now in looking upon this marble gift to your old regiment, which you 
loved so well, I feel in accepting it, as I now do in behalf of the Eighth 
Vermont Regiment, that I am unable to find words to suitably thank you. 
But, sir, by these noble deeds you will leave a rich legacy to your kindred 
and to mankind, who will remember you with gratitude when you shall have 
joined our braves of the blue and the gray upon the other side of the river, 
where wars and their horrors shall never arise, where sorrow and sighing 
shall flee away. 

Governor Ormsbee, sir, in behalf of the Eighth Vermont Regiment, 
not only of the living, but in memory of those who fell upon this historic 
field twenty-one years ago this day, and in gratitude for the peace and 
good will which now prevails between Vermonters and Virginians, I 
commit this marble monument, taken from our mountain home, to your 
care, as the executive and representative of the Green Mountain state, in 
the presence of this vast assemblage of the blue and gray, and of Him 
at whose birth the "angels sung peace on earth, good will to man," with 
the request that you ask our generous brethren of Virginia, in considera- 
tion of the patriotic, fraternal, and loyal spirit in which the donor. Colonel 
Hill, gives this marble, that they will accept its care in the spirit in which 
it is presented; that it may stand as a token, like a "bow in the firma- 
ment," that this fair land shall never again be deluged in fraternal blood, 
and that not only Vermonters and Virginians, but also the citizens of all 
our states, shall live in peace down the long vista of coming centuries, until 
after this marble shaft shall have crumbled into dust. In this request, and 
in this spirit, I feel that I but speak the sentiments of the regiment, who 
propose ever to "keep step to the music of the Union." And I trust you 
will say they are the sentiments of the freemen of Vermont. 



WORDS OF ACCEPTANCE. 325 

Governor Ormsbee accepted the monument, in behalf of the state, 
as follows : 

ADDRESS OF GOV. ORMSBEE. 

Sir, standing here on historic ground, in presence of loyal American 
citizens, and in the presence of an assemblage of people who know no 
North, no South, no East, no West, and who only know that they are 
citizens of a great and justly proud nation, whose territory is boundless 
as is their admiration for it, as the official representative of the state of 
Vermont, and in her name, I cheerfully perform the duty devolving upon me. 
How gratifying and fitting that under Providence you should be spared to 
participate in these ceremonies ! How fitting and proper that to you should 
have fallen the duty of receiving this priceless gift from the hands of our 
brave and generous friend ! Sir, I am impressed with my inability to 
express fittingly and in appropriate words the obligations of the state of 
Vermont, and the gratitude of the people, to Colonel Hill, for the patriotic 
and generous gift he has committed to your hands, and by you passed over 
to the state to dedicate in memory of the patriotism of her soldier sons who 
so nobly died upon this field twenty-one years ago to-day. This generosity 
on the part of Colonel Hill deserves, and I trust will have further public 
recognition and acknowledgment at the hands of the state. I am moved 
to say, in the name of a grateful state, to you and Colonel Hill, and to each 
and all of your comrades who took part in the event commemorated, this 
monument is erected and dedicated to the memory and in honor of the 
living participants as well as to your dead comrades. To you and them this 
fact is of more concern and significance, and has much greater potency 
and meaning, than any words of mine, could I fittingly exjDress the deep 
and lasting gratitude of our commonwealth. This monument, sir, is the 
voice of the state to you and your comrades. If the state did not furnish 
the tablet, she accepts and adopts it, and by and through it bears testimony, 
and makes grateful acknowledgment of the valor of her sons engaged in 
the event it commemorates. 

Governor Ormsbee then addressed the representative of the mayor of 
Winchester, asking that the care of the monument should be assumed 
by him in behalf of the veterans of the Confederate army and the 
citizens of Virginia, and closed in these words : 

Sir, allow me to express our deep sense of thankfulness to your citizens 
and to yourself, for the kindness and hospitality you have lavished upon us 
during our stay in your midst. It will be a pleasant realization to carry back 
to our homes. I now, sir, leave this monument in the keeping of the sons 
and daughters of Virginia, trusting it will stand here as a bond of unending 
peace, confidence, and love ; and, in conclusion, let me express the wish 



326 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

and hope, in behalf of the state of Vermont, and also in behalf of all our 
soldier sons, living and dead, that the sons of Virginia who wore the gray 
will receive and consider this monument in the same spirit with which 
they have received and considered us who have placed it upon their soil ; 
and we entertain not a doubt that as to this their magnanimity will be 
equalled only by their valor and bravery in battle, and with this we will be 
thrice content. 

Mayor Williams, of Winchester, was represented by Capt. John A. 
Nulton, who had served with distinction in Stonewall Jackson's army, 
and is a prominent citizen of the place. He pledged, in the name 
of the Confederates, that this monument should stand as safely as 
among the hills of Vermont, and he declared that they would guard 
this shaft sacredly, and would never allow a single letter to be effaced 
on its pure white surface. " Rather than allow it to be removed, we 
would wish that it might be extended to the clouds, and that angels 
of peace might hover around its summit, symbolical of the union 
of friends now so firmly established between all sections in our land." 

Col. George N. Carpenter, of Boston, was then introduced, and 
gave the following dedicatory poem, which is inserted by request : 

POEM OF COL. CARPENTER. 

My muse, ere she attempt to sing 
Of noble deeds, pauses to bring 
A garland for the brow of one 
Who in the ways of peace hath won 
True honors from his fellow-men, 
As worthily bestowed as when, 
Girding his sword in army days, 
He fronted death and conquered praise. 
In his warm patriot embrace, 
Each brother comrade has a place. 
Here let the name be cherished ever, 
Of Colonel Hill, the generous giver. 



When Clio wrote on hist'ry's page 
The deeds of men in classic age, 
She wrought in most enduring art, 
The scenes where valor played its part. 
'T is not where peace in rosy bowers 
Sleeps idly through the tranquil hours, 
That glory's fiery beacons rise, 



THE POETS TRIBUTE. ZV 

The hero to immortalize ; 
But eager millions stoop to read 
The plaudits of each noble deed, 
When tragic pens are dipped in red, 
To write of wars and patriot dead. 
The quiet feet of modest worth 
Adorn the rugged paths of earth, 
But fame's loud chariot o'er the plain 
Rolls Caesar or a Charlemagne. 
The land-locked waters softly chime, 
Mid-ocean thunders are sublime. 
June's languid breath can never play 
The storm-pipe of a winter day. 
'T is thus great battles seem to be 
The mountain peaks of history. 
From whose bold summits is defined 
The way of progress for mankind. 

Again upon the field we rest, 

Where battle o'er the sloping crest 

Did rage ; and now before us rise, 

Like a mirage in western skies, 

Reflecting in the mental air, 

The picture of the battle's glare ; 

When cannon spoke with heated breath. 

Its "^inai decalogue of death ; 

When rifles dropped their hail of lead, 

Strewing the earth with maimed and dead. 

The sloping hillsides and the wood 

Drank up the flow of throbbing blood, 

From wounds of heroes left to die. 

While serried columns hurried by. 

No teeth of dragons o'er this field 

Were sown, that, sprouting, they might yield 

A harvest-host of warriors brave 

To fight their native land to save ; 

But brothers of one household rose, ' 

In deadly strife as mortal foes. 

No oracle from Delphi spoke, 
Before the sleeping camp awoke. 
To prophesy the victor's name 
To be immortalized by fame 
At Winchester, that autumn day 
Just one-and-twenty years away ; 
But in the heart of every man 
Led by Early or Sheridan, 
Convictions came which all did feel, — 



328 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

Each had a foenian worth his steel. 
And when the voices of the night 
Rose at the fading of the light, 
They sang of valor's noble cost, 
In the drear requiem of the lost. 
Then o'er the field an angel white 
Hovered, or seemed to waft in sight, 
To laud brave men on either side, 
The children of the nation's pride. 
Ah ! not alone on Grecian plain. 
Shall chiselled marble crown the slain. 
Nor in the sculptured Parthenon, 
Shall scriptures speak of victories won : 
But here, 'neath southern skies, we raise 
This marble record of the days 
Heroic. Let it also tell 
The story that in hearts doth dwell, 
Of hate appeased, of wrath deplored. 
Fraternal joy and love restored ; 
A Union surer, since the hands 
Of brothers tied its silken bands. 

Cut from the everlasting hills 
Of old Vermont, whose playful rills 
Sing as they murmur toward the sea 
A pastoral song of liberty. 
Here let this marble be to-day, 
A greeting to Virginia, 
Whose noble history hath been 
' The admiration of all men ; 

A pledge, as coming years increase. 

Of kinship and enduring peace. 

So let its quiet lesson teach 

That patriot hands would heavenward reach, 

To pluck a boon for all the brave 

Who fought their liberties to save. 

No more in malice or in strife, 
Shall human hearts pulsate with life, 
As here we breathe the southern air 
Once more upon these fields so fair. 
Not ours the hostile hand to raise. 
Or voice to speak, except in praise ; 
Nor where the sunshine seeks to play. 
Shall angry clouds obscure the day. 

We rear this stone to comrades slain. 
Whose memory and deeds remain. 



ELOQUENT CONCLUSION. 329 

The monument of better things 

Than war's victorious music sings, 

A landmark in the history 

Of an unbroken peace to be. 

Around this sentinel of stone, 

We sing the greater victory won, 

How Gray and Blue here pledge anew 

The fealty of brothers true. 

And as in olden time a shrine 

Did stimulate desires divine, 

In after time this shaft shall be 

Inspirer of true loyalty. 

For, spanning all the arch of sky. 

One bow of promise hangs on high, 

O'er South and North. ' T is come to stay ; 

The herald of a happier day, 

Whose golden hours, from sun to sun, 

Bear witness of new life begun. 

Oh, gallant wearers of the gray, 

To your kind custody to-day 

Commit we now this sacred urn. 

As beacon fires of sunrise burn 

To guide the earth from darkling gloom. 

And in fresh beauty make it bloom, 

So from this place shall Honor rise 

To lead mankind 'neath fairer skies, 

And light the beacon of the free, — 

A loval. Christian chivalry. 

After the poem, Col. John E. Mead gave a very interesting account 
of the charge made at the battle of Winchester by the Eighth Ver- 
mont, pointing out the different positions which were held during the 
morning, which were easily seen from the high point of ground where 
the monument stands. His vivid description was deeply interesting 
to all present. Capt. F. H, Buffum, of the Fourteenth New Hamp- 
shire Regiment, closed the speaking with a short but eloquent address, 
which thrilled the hearts of all who heard it, and was the theme of 
praise throughout the camp. The following is an abstract of his 
remarks : 

There are historic episodes whose magnificent proportions can be seen 
only <rom some high vantage ground. Rising from the long levels of 
human history we find here and there such happy eminences. The colos- 
sal events identified with the progress of mankind must be contemplated 
from a;distance in order that their splendid proportions and sublime rela- 



330 THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

tions may be adequately appreciated. W^e stand on vantage iiround in 
tliis hour. From the distance of more than two decades we gaze upon the 
heroic spectacle whose vigor and moment spoke the word for this monu- 
ment to rise. The courage, the manhood of the Union soldier is here 
peculiarly commemorated, and it is fitting that I should here add my testi- 
mony. Not a member of the Eighth Vermont, I yet enjoyed the distinc- 
tion of participating with you in this charge, and of observing your signal 
bravery. On this very spot that remarkable charge culminated, and I feel 
honored in having been selected to identify the spot and locate the monu- 
ment. On this field the sturdy attributes of Vermont's nobility shone forth 
conspicuous and triumphant. Col. Hill, the generous donor of this shaft, 
has added new lustre to your renown by this fitting tribute to your excellent 
achievements. 

Col. Thomas, I now grasp your hand on the very ground where, twenty- 
one years ago to-day, you grasped mine and gave me the coveted benedic- 
tion of a brave commander. Valiant and honored soldier, I was proud of 
your notice and commendation years ago, in that hour of rising victory; I 
am unspeakably happy in the broader favor of your friendship in this hour 
of sacred commemoration. We followed you then, and we cannot believe 
that the leadership of such men can ever terminate. Wherever noble 
deeds are yet to be done, wherever vital principles are trembling in the 
balance, there such as you will lead., through all the ages ; nor will you lack 
for faithful followers to swell your victorious columns. 

The whole assembly then sung two stanzas of " America," led 
by Mr. James L. Johnson, of Springfield ; after which Rev. J. E. 
Wright, of Montpelier, pronounced the benediction, and the memorial 
to the sons of Vermont was left to the chivalric care and custody of 
the sons of Virginia. 




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Sift ff Cemvade 



XmnMimited, Sept, IB, JSSS- 
















ANOTHER SCENE. 33 1 



CEREMONIES AT CEDAR CREEK. 

The other gift of Col. Hill was erected on the spot where the 
brigade led by Gen. (then Colonel) Thomas checked the advance of 
the Confederate forces in the early morning of the 19th of October, 
1864, and where the Eighth Vermont suffered such terrible losses in 
a hand-to-hand encounter with their foes. The description in given 
in the presentation speech which follows, and the inscription upon 
it reads : 

" The Eighth Vermont Volunteers, General Stephen Thomas commanding 
the brigade, advanced across this field on the morning of October 19, 1864, 
engaged the enemy near and beyond this point, and before sunrise lost in 
killed and wounded no men, three color-bearers were shot down, and 
thirteen out of sixteen commissioned officers. Whole number of men en- 
gaged, 164. Dedicated September, 1885. Gift of Herbert E. Hill." 

SPEECH OF COL. HILL. 

Comrades of the Eit^/ith Vertnont, and Siirinvors of the l/iiion and Con- 
federate A rnii'es : 

The battle of Cedar Creek was the most remarkable battle of the war. 
Indeed, we may say there were two distinct battles during the day; and it 
was in the first of these, on the morning of October 19, 1864, that one of 
the most savage and bloody fights of the great civil war occurred on and 
near this spot. 

The Eighth VermDnt, accompanied by the Twelfth Connecticut and One 
Hundred and Sixtieth New York, led by Gen. Stephen Thomas, and by 
■direct verbal order of Major General Emory, crossed the pike at early dawn, 
and marched into the very teeth of the war-trained veterans of Gordon's 
and Kershaw's several divisions. 

The solid block of V^ermont marble, which we are assembled to-day 
to dedicate, was purposely carved and fashioned on three sides in rough 
to represent the savage and peculiar feature of that awful struggle. 
It represents the regiment as it was surrounded at one time on three 
sides by an excited foe, fresh from their great- victory over Crook's Corps. 
It represents the three color-bearers who were shot down in the terrible 
hand-to-hand conflict and who died. It represents three fourths of the com- 
missioned officers killed or wounded. Again, I may say it represents the 
regiment's total loss, for almost three fourths of the number of men and 
officers actually engaged were killed or wounded. Surely all the good 



33^ THE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

people of this broad land will join with us in commemorating the valor of 
the brave fellows who nobly stood when it seemed almost certain death to 
fight longer. I present this marble memorial to the Eighth Vermont Vet 
eran Volunteer Association. 

Capt. S. E. Howard, of Boston, who was twice wounded at Cedar 
Creek, accepted the monument on the part of the regiment in the fol- 
lowing words : 

ADDRESS OF CAPT. HOWARD. 

Coiirades and Friends : 

We read in sacred history that Jacob fled secretly fiom Laban the 
Syrian to Mount Gilead, carrying away his daughters and property ; and 
when Laban pursued, and came up with the fugitives, and it seemed 
blood must flow, the Lord rebuked Laban's wrath. And he said to 
Jacob, "Come let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a 
witness between me and thee." And Jacob took a stone and set it up for a 
pillar. And Laban called it Mizpah; for he said, "The Lord watch 
between me and thee ; and this pillar shall be a witness that I will not pass 
over this stone to thee, and thou shalt not pass over this pillar to me, for 
harm." 

Twenty-one years ago on the 19th of October next, the ground on which 
we stand was covered by two armies fighting with a fury seldom equalled, 
and never surpassed. Ever since that day have I remembered most vividly 
my sensations, as I was wakened in the gray dawn of that October morn- 
ing by what I thought for an instant was a furious thunder-storm, so contin- 
uous was the dreadful roll of musketry. Springing out, I shouted, " Fall 
in, men !" and during the instant the line was forming, I listened eagerly to 
the firing, congratulating myself that whoever had struck Crook's Eighth 
Corps had found a hard nut to crack, when the air was suddenly filled with 
the oncoming of that short, sharp, quick yell, which we had heard so often 
and dreaded so much. And when I held my breath, hoping — nay, know- 
ing — that in an instant I should hear the long-drawn, confident shout of 
our comrades, as they hurled back their defiance, my heart sank as 
never before with inexpressible horror; iox tJiat shoui never cavie, and I 
realized, with the greatest dismay, that the terrible wail of musketry was 
from our foes, — that our left was being turned, and that a great disaster 
stared us in the face. 

A moment later our brigade received orders to take position in the edge 
of the timber across the pike, and check the enemy's advance, and the 
movement was made on the run. In a moment it was apparent that our 
left. Crook's Corps, was helplessly broken. Officers were fleeing for their 
lives, half-dressed, and with their swords in their hands. Hundreds of men 



'CONQUER OR PERISH. 333 

•rushed past just as they had sprung from their blankets. The surprise was 
complete. The best soldiers in the world (and no more gallant troops than 
the Eighth Corps were ever mustered) could have done nothing but fly. For 
■ojir little brigade the moinent was supreme. Every man felt that the destiny 
■of that great army, and perhaps of the whole country, hung fearfully trem- 
bling in the balance. We well knew that for ourseiz'es we could not "pluck 
the flower safety from this nettle danger.'' 

The only question was, could we check the furious tide, could we hold 
that line for half an hour, and thus give the Nineteenth and Sixth Corps 
time to form a new line ? And the reply which our hearts gave was, "We 
will do it, or perish in the attempt ! " And for answer whether we redeemed 
our pledge, let the words chiselled on this stone reply: "Out of 148 men 
and 16 officers of the Eighth Vermont who entered this fight, no men and 
13 officers were killed and wounded before sunrise." Like a rock stood 
that little line. The rushing wave of the enemy seeking to engulf us was 
shattered against that living rampart as the waves of old ocean are broken 
when they hurl themselves against the eternal cliffs. But as old ocean 
gathers herself after each repulse, and bursts again upon the rocky barrier, 
so did our gallant foes a;gain and again hurl themselves against us. 

No pen can describe the scene, no pencil paint its fury. The deep gloom 
of the early morning was lighted up by the incessant flashes of musketry 
from either side ; the air was filled with missiles, and heavily laden with the 
roar of battle, the shock of artillery, and the shouts of the combatants. 
Three separate times were the colors of the Eighth Vermont in the grasp 
of the enemy; three color-bearers poured out their life-blood and died 
clinging to the flag; but three times we beat back the enemy, and bore our 
precious flag from the field. 

But our pledge had been kept, sealed with blood, and at the price of a 
great slaughter, but still kept. For half an hour under the dauntless 
Thomas had we held in check the whole centre of the enemy's advance ; 
and when our little remnant was finally swept from the field, the Nineteenth 
and Sixth Corps, in their new position, gained while we fought, were in 
comparative readiness for the assault. 

Looking from that scene of carnage of twenty-one years ago, when we 
who are now gathered here in friendly unity were deadly foes, let me revert 
to the sentiment expressed in my opening words — may not this stone be 
Mizpah to us of the North and South — once foes, iww friends ? Placed 
here, not for glorification, but to mark the spot where our comrades fell, to 
mark the place of an important public event, and a turning-point in a 
nation's history, let it also have a deeper meaning to us of the North, and 
you, our brothers in the South. Let it be a pillar of stone which shall for- 
ever mark an era of genuine fraternal feeling between us. Let it be an 
everlasting covenant that we will not pass over this stone to thee, and thou 
shalt not pass over this pillar to us, for harm. 



334 '^HE EIGHTH VERMONT. 

And to the generous donor of this monument, in behalf of my brothers 
of the North I accept it, pledging ourselves that it shall be our constant 
aim to promote that feeling of sympathy and kindness between the two 
sections which he so much desires, and with him earnestly hoping that the 
time is near at hand when there shall be no North, no South, but one coun- 
try united forever. 

He concluded by introducing Gen. Stephen Thomas, who com- 
manded the brigade in which the Eighth Vermont belonged. Gen- 
eral Thomas gave a detailed account of the experiences of his brigade 
during the battle in the morning and in the afternoon. Capt. Moses 
McFarland, who commanded the Eighth Vermont during the day after 
Colonel Mead was wounded, then made an address, in which he 
spoke of the brilliant services of his regiment and brigade, and com- 
mended the sterling qualities which belong to the American soldier. 

The followinsf is an abstract of his address : 



SPEECH OF CAPT. McFARLAND. 

Comrades : 

In the years not long since gone, noble men left our own loved Green 
Mountains, left fathers and mothers, wives and children, left all that life 
holds dear, to offer up themselves as sacrifices, if need be, to preserve the 
integrity of this nation. Many there were who never returned. Many 
there were who looked for the last time upon their dear ones at home. 
Many there were whose bones moulder in the soil of the Shenandoah. It 
is but fitting that we, as comrades of those brave men, should make pilgrim- 
ages to this spot, made sacred by the blood of our brothers in arms, and 
erect here a monument in memory of the sublime courage that characterized 
the sacrifice of that terrible 19th of October, 1864. They died that liberty 
should not perish, that generations yet unborn should be blessed with the 
boon of free self-government. Nor was it an unwilling sacrifice. It was 
made as freely as the lives offered up were dear. Can we do less than strew 
this ground with flowers and engage in these simple ceremonies ? 

Not alone does this soil cover the dear forms of our fellow comrades. 
Here lie buried fond hopes, noble ambitions, and bright anticipations of 
happv and prosperous lives cut off in the early morning of that awful day. 
Nor do we only weep for the fallen, but far away among the green hills of 
Vermont, father and mother, sister, brother, wife, grieve for him who here 
gave up his life in defence of his country's flag. Men of noble manhood, 
types of the old Green Mountain State, worthy sons of worthy sires, you 
went bravely forth at your country's call, leaving all that was dear behind, 
but the good old flag which you gallantly followed until your names were 



THE CLOSING PRAYER. 335 

enrolled in the heavenly roster beyond the river. You have left us for the 
rest thqt awaits us all. You have left us for the land where 

" No vision of the morrow's strife 
The warrior's dream alarms. 
No braying horn or screaming fife 
At dawn shall call to arms." 

Captain McFarland was followed by Gen. W. W. Grotit, member 
of congress from Vermont, who compared our country to-day with 
what it was prior to the war, bringing out some interesting statistics 
going to sliow that the nation to-day is stronger in every respect than 
it was before war desolated the land. His address was closely 
listened to. Col. John B. Mead, who commanded the regiment on 
the morning of October 19, 1864, and who was early wounded in the 
action, then briefly spoke, and closed the exercises by prayer. A 
great many veterans of the other regiments were present at the 
exercises. 










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^^ N. MANCHESTER 
INDIANA 



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